Would the heart still beat, if the brain is dead?

Answer 1

Yes, the heart will continue to beat even when the brain is dead. There are some functions that the body continues to perform without any process or thinking. These are non-voluntary functions, like the heart beating. Eventually the heart tires, however when a young person is brain dead it could take a long time. That is why organ donation is possible after brain death. Often, lungs, heart, kidneys, liver and other organs can function long enough for a matching recipient to be located and preparations for organ transfer can be accomplished.

Answer 2

I feel what your thinking at. Observing health when a body isn't a thing on a table with functions or whatever. Someone told me that the Native Americans left the dead in the woods somewhere and well, I don't think a body would animate unless these conditions were granted. I guess realistically, the only chance the life would have is if some fresh air clicked the brain back to functioning.

Answer 3

Brain death means there is no electrical activity in the brain, no brain function and no cerebral blood flow. The other organs will live for a few hours before they begin to decompose. Unless there is life support, the heart will not continue beating for long - it may be for as little as a few minutes or as long as an hour.

Answer 4

When someone is brain dead, it means there is no blood flow or oxygen to their brain and that their brain is no longer functioning in any capacity and never will again. It does not mean that other organs, such as the heart, kidneys or liver, are dead, although they may function for only a few days. Unless damaged by injury or disease, these organs may be used by another individual through an organ transplant.

Answer 5

If the entire brain is "dead", then no, the heart would not beat without the assistance of medical equipment. There are areas of the brain that control the involuntary movements of the body, ie. heart beating. It is the powerhouse. Without the nerves firing, nothing would be going on.

Answer 6

Yes, your heart will continue to beat as long as it has oxygen. The reason it will continue to beat is because of its automaticity, which means that the muscles can contract without being told by the brain what to do. If the brain stops sending a signal the muscles will contact at a rate by them selves until they run out of oxygen and die.

Answer 7

Yes. The person does have to be on life support though. The heart continues beating for usually less than a minute after death when the life support has been taken away. Rarely people survive after this, and usually die within a short amount of time.

Answer 8

As you probably know, there are multiple parts to the brain. Simply put, one can be "brain dead", yet the Medulla can still be active. The Medulla is the part of the brain that runs the autonomic functions of the body, such as breathing and heartbeat.

This is what happened when my father died. He was brain dead for almost 2 weeks, yet his medulla kept running the basic functions of his body, keeping him *technically* alive.

Answer 9

My brain dead mother heart beat til the next day.

Answer 10

no, the brain is needed to control all movements