What is the term for the settling of blood to the lowest regions of the body after death?

The term for the settling of blood to the lowest regions of the body after death is livor mortis. This phenomenon occurs due to the cessation of circulation, allowing gravity to pull blood down to the dependent areas of the body, resulting in a purplish discoloration of the skin. Livor mortis begins to develop within a few hours after death and can provide important information in forensic investigations, such as determining the position of the body at the time of death and estimating the time of death.

In contrast, post-mortem decomposition refers to the complex process in which the body breaks down after death, rigor mortis is the stiffening of muscles that occurs several hours after death, and algor mortis is the cooling of the body after death. Each of these processes provides different insights into the post-mortem state of the body, but livor mortis specifically describes the settling of blood, making it the correct term for this phenomenon.