• Question: Can the brain really stay alive for 6 minuets without oxygen even is the person has suffercated? x

    Asked by puddleduck to Damien, Rachael, Suzi, Tim on 22 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Tim Fosker

      Tim Fosker answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      Hi @puddleduck

      I hope you’re not planning an experiment to test this out? 😀

      For between 4-6 mins after a person has stopped breathing there is still enough oxygen in their body to use, but after that large numbers of cells begin to die in the brain. Cells in the part of the brain involved in memory (the hippocampus) starve of oxygen first, so memory is usually damaged in people who have been starved of oxygen.

    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      Hi @puddleduck

      If the person has died of suffocation and their heart has stopped pumping their blood then I don’t think this is true, but as Tim says the body (and brain) can stay alive without oxygen for a bit, but there will most probably be permanent damage if it’s a long time.

      Hope this helps!

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