Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: benm on 18/04/2019 09:06:18

Title: Which cells survive best without oxygen?
Post by: benm on 18/04/2019 09:06:18

Donald has a slightly morbid question:

I understand braincells are amongst the first to die without oxygen. What are the last to die? And how long till they lose their membrane potential? Room temperature, natural death, no drugs or alcohol. I suspect it determines tissue/organ donation potential.

Can anybody help out?

Title: Re: Which cells survive best without oxygen?
Post by: alancalverd on 18/04/2019 10:35:57

Sadly, cancers.

Title: Re: Which cells survive best without oxygen?
Post by: evan_au on 18/04/2019 12:01:35

Quote from: OP

What are the last (cells) to die?

Perhaps the cornea? These cells live with a fairly low blood supply. They are often used in transplants, even when other tissues are not suitable.

Even with the brain, a story in Nature this week claims that researchers have managed to find some functioning neurons in the brains of pigs 4 hours after death - and then to keep them alive for hours more on an artificial blood supply.

Some of the first cells to malfunction are in the retina. Unlike most of the brain and nervous system which uses "spike" signaling, the rods and cone cells of the retina operate in analog mode, and consume lots of oxygen. Vision is often one of the first senses to fail when blood oxygenation falls.

Title: Re: Which cells survive best without oxygen?
Post by: alancalverd on 18/04/2019 19:52:56

Interestingly the retina malfunctions pretty quickly, losing color vision first, but generally recovers when reoxygenated.