The time of death

Death has been perplexing for humans from inception. In the modern context, the definition of death takes increased importance in a regime that permits organ donation (1). So, the time of death becomes an important criteria for decision-making.

What is the time of death? Is it the death of the heart, brain or cells in the body? It is a complex system with a self propelled logic unit, a pump that circulates fluids to keep the infrastructure going and a myriad of cells that make the system working. In some sense, they are disconnected, the brain can keep going even after the heart stops and vice-versa. On the surface, the two macro-structures, the brain and the heart appear to dominate the system. However, to answer the question of the time of death, all organs and cells have to be put into context.

One could argue that death is personal. One dies when one choses to do so. But then external decision-making may not provide that flexibility. The fact that organs can be donated in itself means that they are not dead at the point of donation. Disaggregating the person into components to measure time of death may not be appropriate. A larger question is whether a person is an assembly of organs or something entirely different. The mechanical understanding of the biological system that we currently have may not be sufficient to understand death or the timing of it.

Death, and the timing of it, remains a puzzle.

(1) When does life end? New organ donation strategy fuels debate | Science | AAAS