Yes, it's true. Scientists have proved that death isn't caused by lack of oxygen itself, but of chemical reactions that are triggered by sharply dropping oxygen levels. When we stop breathing, our blood still has oxygen in it, and our brain can survive on that oxygen for a while, provided that the blood is pumped to the brain. What causes us to die, is the chemical reactions that occur from oxygen deprivation. Our cells release toxins, and die, which lead to organ failure, and so on, but for this to happen, the presence of oxygen has to be there.
When Mark Roth, a 50-year old biologist, conducted an experiment where he slowly filled in an air-tight container containing a mouse, with hydrogen sulfide (an ounce could kill dozens of people), the rat stopped moving, and looked dead. After 50 minutes, Mark Roth shut off the hydrogen sulfide, and regular air was allowed to flow through again. In a couple of minutes, the rat was okay, and moving about freely, as if nothing had happened.
The reason, is that the hydrogen sulfide took the place of oxygen completely, preventing the chemical reactions, so no cell failure, and the mouse survived.
The air we breathe is 21% oxygen, and if we only get 5%, we die, because, at 5% oxygen, there is enough oxygen to trigger the chemical reactions that make the cells die. But, at 0.1% we go into a suspended animation but do not pass away.
But, there is still one major set back. This theory only works on small animals.
When I read this article, I was very intrigued. Poisonous gasses aren't really poisonous after all! They can kill only when combined with oxygen. This is so interesting! But I really wouldn't want to be the test subject. A question I have is how can you slowly replace oxygen with Hydrogen Sulfide? Where does the oxygen go? Wouldn't some of it still be in airtight container? This could be next biggest scientific victory... when scientists figure out a way to make it work on humans.
1 comment:
Cool! That is really creepy, in a sense, like being deep frozen and then revived. I wouldn't want to be the test subject, though.
Post a Comment