What does cremation involve in the context of funeral service?

Cremation in the context of funeral service specifically refers to the process of converting the body into ashes through the application of intense heat. This method of disposition involves the reduction of the body to its basic elements, which are primarily ash and bone fragments, typically accomplished in a specially designed furnace known as a cremator.

The choice that pertains to the essence of cremation is the conversion of the body to ashes, which underscores the fundamental nature of this service option when a family decides against traditional burial. Other options, such as burial in a cemetery or donation to science, refer to different methods of handling remains instead of cremation. Home memorialization, while a growing trend in aftercare practices, does not directly involve the physical act of cremation itself but rather relates to how families may choose to commemorate their loved ones post-cremation.