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What machines are used in a heart transplant?

Is a brain transplant possible?

  • Well, In my childhood I saw many films in which the spirit of one person is transferred into the body of another person and you know the rest...I used to ridicule the idea then,since it was completely baseless.But if we transplant a brain,it would be equivalent to the transfer of the spirit.That would be very helpful like when a man is dying of cancer we could shift his brain into someone who is gonna die of a brain disorder,then one of em would survive.I know it is very difficult,but doctors faced this same difficulty in the first open heart surgery, right?Now a days open heart surgeries have become common.So,are we any near to a brain transplant?

  • Answer:

    Although many scientists have challenged the feasibility of this process, few would say that it was not possible given current research into organ transplant and human cloning. The bodies created for harvesting would have to be clones, criminals due to be executed, or as you said, people with fatal brain diseases. But the brain stem has to be severed, so one of the most significant barriers to the procedure is the inability of nerve tissue to heal properly; scarred nerve tissue does not transmit signals well (this is the reason a spinal cord injury is so devastating). However, recent research at the Wistar Institute of the University of Pennsylvania involving tissue-regenerating mice (known as MRL mice) may provide pointers for further research as to how to regenerate nerves without scarring. There is also a potential problem of the new interface at the spinal cord, in that even if all the nerves are connected successfully, they may not transmit the same information as the same nerve connection in the old body. For example, a nerve that used to control the right index finger's muscle group might be connected to a different finger's muscle group, or another body part entirely. If this were to happen to the majority of the connections, the person undergoing the transplant might end up with a body which transmitted sensory input to the wrong destination, making it incomprehensible and potentially requiring many years of rehabilitation. An arguably more reasonable scenario is a partial brain transplant involving only enough tissue to provide key memories and a sense of continuity of identity. A fairly large but indeterminate amount of the brain is devoted to processing and controlling sensory, motor, and autonomic functions such as vision, olfaction, movement, appetite, etc.; if the goal is to move memories and/or identity from one body to another then these portions of the brain are likely both difficult and unnecessary to transplant. In al cases, in the near future, this is not a possibilty, it's an inevitability.

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ok man, here is the low down. if your heart is actually removed (ie. heart transplant) it actually keeps beating. the brain actually doesnt cause the heart to move. think of heart as an "independent". this is because the heart has its own pacemaker cells. think about it: if you hold your breath for lets say 2 mins, your heart still beats, even without the temporary oxygen supply, right? so yes back then heart transplant was new, and was difficult, but had potential. now for the brain... its not like the heart. doesnt really have a pacemaker that keeps it going. so pretty much starve the brain from energy, blood etc.. by taking out from your body, it is gone. for good. so you can kiss brain transplants goodbye. even if it was possible... giving your brain to someone else and it becomes your consciousness? your consciousness is from your brain wiring your nerves interconnected to your spinal cord and which extends everywhere. so basically when you think "i wanna move my arm", your brain generates an action potential (its how nerves communicate) and this in turn depolarizes your sarcolemma down the t-tubules, which depolarizes your triad, and this releases calcium ions (Ca++), calcium ions bind to troponin, which causes tropomyosin to move, exposing the active sites on an action, then myosin heads binds the thick and thin filaments, shortening your sarcomere and generating muscle movement. that example i gave you is trying to tell you that your brain is wired with your body. i cant see any possible way of rewiring with another body (it would just sit there). besides both the 'transplantee' and 'recievee' will be dead after removal of both their brains. you get the jist. your idea is great for science-fiction only. jack

j tripper

This is known as a whole body transplant. I seriously doubt this could happen any time soon because as I know it, nerve tissue does not heal well at all; there is serious scarring. Furthermore, the brain controls critical body processes (like breathing, heart rate) and I don't think we have the technology to keep a person live while the brain recuperates. Lastly, there are A LOT more interactions that need to be maintained. In heart, kidney, pancreas, etc. it is well established where the links go. But in the brain, there are a lot of nerves that need to be reconnected and with minimal damage (eyes, nose, ears, upper/lower spinal cord, etc.).

Mark

It seems more and more transplants in recent years have become possible, however this one is not. Removing the brain would include the brain stem which attaches to the spinal cord. A transplant would sever this connection. There is currently no known, scientifically accepted way of reforming this connection after it has been broken.

nothing is impossible at presnt its not possible one day it will be possible (hope fully)

$r!

hopefully!many people need it!

Kevin7

You wouldn't be related to Paris Hilton, would you?

craig.winter41

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