Which statement best describes cremation?

• A. Embalming is required before cremation.
• B. Cremation is the reduction of human remains to bone fragments through intense heat produced by a specialized furnace called a 'retort' and processing the bone fragments to a uniform size and consistency often called 'ashes' or 'cremains.'
• C. Cremation is the burial of remains in a cemetery.
• D. Cremation involves preserving the body by cooling.

Answer: (B)

Cremation is the process of reducing human remains to bone fragments by exposing them to intense heat in a specialized furnace called a retort, followed by processing the fragments into a uniform material commonly called cremains or ashes. This describes what actually happens to the body in cremation and how the final product is produced. Embalming is not required before cremation; it may be performed, but it isn’t a mandatory step. Cremation is not simply burial in a cemetery, nor is it preservation by cooling, so it differs from those methods as well.