Amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of life. Protein plays a crucial role in almost all biological processes and amino acids are the organic compounds that combine to form proteins. A large proportion of our cells, muscles and tissue is made up of amino acids, meaning they carry out many important bodily functions, such as giving cells their structure. They are furthermore essential for healing wounds and repairing tissue, especially in the muscles, bones, skin and hair.
Source: http://www.aminoacid-studies.com/amino-acids/what-are-amino-acids.html (freely derived 11-4-2016)

The skin is composed of water, proteins, and fat. When we die, the proteins in our skin tend to fall apart. This is what we call decay. To preserve the skin after death, I need knowledge of protein structures to be able to prevent them from falling apart, to prevent the skin from decay.