Can A Human Head Be Kept Alive ?
Give today's medical technology, is there any reason why, in theory, a human head could not be kept alive and conscious. I cannot see why not. As far as I know, all that would be needed is a pure blood supply.
Would the person be able to talk, hear and see? What about eating? Would the face age normally? etc. etc.
A person in this state would be little worse off than a quadraplegiac and should be able to cope mentally. If it is possible, it could be a way of extending the life of a person with a cancer-ridden body.
If it is possible, why has it not been done? (or has it?)
Please speculate on the above and any ethical implications
Would the person be able to talk, hear and see? What about eating? Would the face age normally? etc. etc.
A person in this state would be little worse off than a quadraplegiac and should be able to cope mentally. If it is possible, it could be a way of extending the life of a person with a cancer-ridden body.
If it is possible, why has it not been done? (or has it?)
Please speculate on the above and any ethical implications
thinknirmal
I won't be able to answer. But I like your question :)
The short answer is NO
A longer answer depends on how long and definition of alive and conscious.
Time < 1 microsecond -yes
-
in principle - perhaps. How much money do you want to spend?
aging - yes dementialdoes not depend on signals external to head
speaking - no no air for vocal cords
watch that blood. There is more there than red and white corpuscles.
A longer answer depends on how long and definition of alive and conscious.
Time < 1 microsecond -yes
-
in principle - perhaps. How much money do you want to spend?
aging - yes dementialdoes not depend on signals external to head
speaking - no no air for vocal cords
watch that blood. There is more there than red and white corpuscles.
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talk? Definitely not, they'd have no lungs :-)
What I'm wondering is...can a human head be preserved under the earth?
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Thanks to everyone - Interesting thoughts and links so far.
From what I can see the lack of feedback from the body's autonomous system would be the main problem. (As mentioned by NovaDenizen)
I'll leave this question open until the end of the week
From what I can see the lack of feedback from the body's autonomous system would be the main problem. (As mentioned by NovaDenizen)
I'll leave this question open until the end of the week
hey i got a point i read this in anatomy of cockroach ........very interesting a cockroach can live without head and his head can live alone.....there r many reasons one is the loss of blood ....a cockroach does not have blood pressure and veins....so looses blood so slowly that in no time wound clots .....a cockroach dies due to lack of food...but in humans anatomy is totally different.....excessive loss of blood and there was someting i dot remember ....that brain controls body so if it does not have any function.....only head and cut off from spinal cord what can it do????? .....and cockroach brain did not play any significant roll in their body.....