What information does a death certificate provide?

A death certificate is a vital document that serves as an official record of an individual's death. It specifically provides essential vital statistical data related to the deceased, which includes information such as the date and time of death, cause of death, personal details of the deceased (including name, age, and gender), and pertinent information about the family or legal representatives.

This data plays a critical role in public health tracking, demographic studies, and legal matters, helping to maintain accurate records for various governmental and statistical purposes. Given its focus on factual and statistical information about the deceased, option B is the correct choice.

The other choices detail aspects that fall outside the primary purpose of a death certificate. For example, while an account of the deceased's life is important, it is often captured through obituaries or biographies, not the official death certificate. Similarly, funeral expenses and the name of the funeral home can be documented in other paperwork associated with the funeral arrangements but are not included in the death certificate itself. This distinguishes vital statistical data as the core function of the death certificate.