4 ms·
my poor knowledge of biology says it's a deeply unsatisfying "heart beats when enough of the body has thawed for it to beat." If the heart depends on the brain
by telgareith 2y ago
my poor knowledge of biology says it's a deeply unsatisfying "heart beats when enough of the body has thawed for it to beat."
If the heart depends on the brain at all in frogs.
- nine_k 2y agoIt doesn't, even in humans. There is an independent circuit of special muscle cells right on it that keeps it beating. So starting and stopping the heart in a controlled manner is pretty interesting, because it has to be well-timed, and there are few obvious and reliable inputs to control it, especially when thawing.
- 8n4vidtmkvmk 2y agoWhy doesn't my heart keep beating if my brain dies then? Or would it?
- kampsun 2y agoI understand that it would keep beating until you are provided oxygen. That’s my understanding understanding of brain death at least.
- oharapj 2y agoProbably because the brain controls breathing and so the oxygen runs out quickly
- 8n4vidtmkvmk 2y agoI was going to say that's silly, but I guess we need to be able to hold our breath sometimes.
- telgareith 2y ago"Even in humans"- thats a pretty steep assumption. I am fully aware that if the human heart is severed from the brainstem it will develop A rhythm. But what about other mammals? Dunno. Not going to assume. Theres also the tidbit that frogs are not mammals.
- nine_k 2y agoThe point is that whatever control a frog heart may have, it's not cerebral. It must be a very low-level circuit, which can be modulated from outside, but which remains autonomous.