If you had a head with no body but still managed to receive a healthy flow of blood,would you survive?

Question

This is obviously a theoretical question, but none the less a serious question. What else does a head need for the brain to function normally???? Oxygen would be received through the blood as per normal!

Answer 1

oh boy!,...how would u live without a heart that is responsible for pumping blood?
okay,..then lets say that u recieved a supply,....where is the waste material to go?
if there are no lungs: where will deoxygenated blood go?
where will the chemicals be discharged?

if u hav e:
blood pumping, waste-throwing, fresh air accepting, vital eqiupments in ur brain--then yes...

but u see: human brain does NOT have such privileges...that was why a whole organ system was necessary to function

however i can give u one condition:
let the other organs survive, and the brain-cerebrum does, cerebellum too to an extent...there is STILL a chance that u would survive.....this is what happens in coma

good question...lmao

Answer 2

I think the whole spinal cord would have to be perserved also, just to simplify things. If the neck is broken in such a way the cord breaks then that can cause instant death, so it would make sense to keep the cord intact.
Apart from that, you would need some way of ingesting nutrients to keep the brain alive, and a way of removing waste products, functions carried out by the stomach, liver, kidneys, and intestines. Without these functions the head would starve in weeks, maybe less as a huge amount of fluid would be required and there is no way to get it in there!

I have no knowledge of any way of performing these functions without any of the other organs in place.

That would be the main problems, and obviously, stopping the patient going into severe shock when the reality of their prediciment becomes obvious.

Answer 3

What an interesting question.

to function properly, as well as a good circulation
the brain has to recieve blood at the correct pressure,

in addition, the nerves, ( voluntary and involuntary )
need stimulation,to and from the body , in order to function .

Cerebral fluid surrounding the brain ,
plays an important role, in protecting and nourishing the brain tissue ,

Hormones secreted from the body, would be cut off ;
so all feelings, thought and other sensations (sight, heat control , growth etc) would be non existent

A headless body ,would also pose ,
some conciderable problems !!!!

>^,,^<

Answer 4

there was a scientist who was beheaded. When his head rolled down, he blinked exactly 14 times. So the brain can function without a body as long as it has blood, and nutrients. But the brain would probably go insane because it is not receiving signals from the other body parts. Maybe you need to keep the nerves intact.

Answer 5

Clearly, you don't really understand the basic survival need of organisms. Even with blood flow, if you don't have food, oxygen, hormones, kidneys, livers etc, how are you going to expect the blood to be cleansed and replenished????? OF course you cnt survive!! It is already contradicting to say 'healthy flow of blood' when your vital organs are absent.

Unless you are assuming the blood is replenished and cleansed by EXTERNAL means such as machines.

Furthermore, if u broaden the scope, to 'survive' also means to live in a community and reality. Without the nervous system [as ur spinal cord is 'terminated'] and all the senses you need, i dun see how can you survive.

Answer 6

Shock might be a killer. A healthy flow of blood..... would not be possible, as the lungs not only add oxygen, but remove carbon dioxide. Also, the blood toxins would not be removed by liver, kidneys etc.

Answer 7

Theoretically yes...

Did anyone ever see the 1970s experiement with a monkey whose head was amputated and put onto another monkey's body...? It was rescusitated and was clearly seen blinking, able to take a drink etc....

Modern science could not cope with joining up the spinal chord however and that would be the case today.....therefore without it the lower half of the body would be paralysed....not that this was directly your question!

Answer 8

As long as the 'dirty' blood ir removed and cleaned, if you get what I mean, then yes and the blood would also have to contain oxygen for aerobic respiration of the cells in the head.

Answer 9

U would but you're brain would eventually die of shock as there would be no stimuli from the spinal cord that its needs (from the heart, liver, kidneys etc etc) - it would thus be unable to send signals to the brain to produce the right chemicals to keep the person alive. You've been watching too many episodes of Futurama!!! (my fav. by the way!)

Answer 10

The heart would be required to pump the blood to the brain.