General Question

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Does the body keep trying to heal itself after death?

Asked by RedDeerGuy1 (24888points) 2 weeks ago

Say you died from a heart attack, and you had a minor cut on your finger? Would it still try to heal?

How long does the rest of the body function after death?

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11 Answers

Tropical_Willie's avatar

You need blood flow to continue healing. It carries oxygen, in the blood, needed for healing.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

No as the others have said.

ragingloli's avatar

It would try, but it would fail.

flutherother's avatar

Death is final unless you awaken to find bitemarks on your rotting fingers and body in which case the zombie apocalypse has begun.

Forever_Free's avatar

No. Everything ceases. What would it’s purpose be if it did?

Bill1939's avatar

As others here have said, without blood flow tissues cannot heal. However, it is my understanding that hair, and finger and toenails do continue to grow for a short time after the body dies.

smudges's avatar

^^ This is a common misconception. What actually happens is that the skin around the hair and nails dehydrates and retracts, giving the appearance of growth. The growth of hair and nails requires active cell division, which stops when you die.

gondwanalon's avatar

Depends on your definition of death.
I think that if there is no cerebral brain activity then Elvis has left the building and consider that death (yet the medulla oblongata may be fully functional and continue to keep heart and lungs functioning). In such a case the body will continue to try to heal itself.

If the heart stops functioning then all other organs will quickly stop functioning.

MrGrimm888's avatar

There will still be a LOT of “life,” after the main animal dies.
If not preserved, then all kinds of things will grow from “breaking down.” Lot’s of bacteria, and other microorganisms, will form a little ecosystem of it’s own.
If a body is say, in the wild, all kinds of life comes from the phases of it’s decomposition, including it benefiting any number of scavengers and even supplying nutrients to the soil under the body…

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