Death

Death is the end of life.
Every living thing eventually dies, but human beings are probably 
the only creatures that  can imagine their own deaths.

Death is the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include biological aging (senescence), predation, malnutrition, disease, suicide, murder and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death. There is no scientific evidence that suggests consciousness survives the death of an organism.

In human societies, the nature of death and humanity's awareness of its own mortality has for millennia been a concern of the world's religious traditions and of philosophical inquiry. This includes belief in resurrection (associated with Abrahamic religions), reincarnation or rebirth (associated with Dharmic religions), or that consciousness permanently ceases to exist, known as oblivion (often associated with atheism)

Death is the end of life. Every living thing eventually dies, but human beings are probably the only creatures that can imagine their own deaths.

Most people fear death and try to avoid thinking about it. However, people's awareness of death has been one of the chief forces in the development of civili­zation. Throughout history, people have continually sought new medical knowledge with which to delay death. Philosophers and religious leaders have tried to understand the meaning of death. Some scholars be­lieve that much human progress results from people's efforts to overcome death and gain immortality through lasting achievements.

Medical aspects of death. Scientists recognize three types of death. These types are necrobiosis, necro­sis, and somatic death.

Necrobiosis is the continual death and replacement of individual cells through life. Except for nerve cells, all the cells of an organism are constantly being replaced. For example, new skin cells form under the surface as the old ones die and flake off.

Necrosis is the death of tissues or even entire organs. During a heart attack, for example, a blood clot cuts off the circulation of the blood to part of the heart. The af­fected part dies, but the organism continues to live un­less the damage has been severe.

Somatic death is the end of all life processes in an or­ganism. A person whose heart and lungs stop working may be considered clinically dead, but somatic death may not yet have occurred. The individual cells of the body continue to live for several minutes. The person may be revived if the heart and lungs start working again and give the cells the oxygen they need. After about three minutes, the brain cells—which are most sensitive to a lack of oxygen—begin to die. The person is soon dead beyond any possibility of revival. Gradually, other cells of the body also die. The last ones to perish are the bone, hair, and skin cells, which may continue to grow for several hours.

Many changes take place after death. The tempera­ture of the body slowly drops to that of its surroundings. The muscles develop a stiffening called rigor mortis.

The blood, which no longer circulates, settles and pro­duces reddish-purple discoloration in the lowest areas of the body. Eventually, bacteria and other tiny organ­isms grow on the corpse and cause it to decay.

Defining death. Traditionally, a person whose breathing and heartbeat had stopped was considered dead. Today, however, doctors can sometimes prolong the functioning of the lungs and heart by artificial means. Various machines can produce breathing and a heartbeat even in a patient whose brain has been de­stroyed. Developments in such life-support machines have led to a new definition of death called brainstem death. A diagnosis of brainstem death is reached only after repeated medical tests have confirmed that the brain is no longer functioning. Life-support is then with­drawn and the heartbeat ceases.

In a condition of near-death called Persistent Vegeta­tive State (PVS), patients are unable to think, speak, feel or hear. They open their eyes and have cycles of sleep­ing and waking two to three weeks after falling into the state. There is no recovery from PVS.

The right to die. Many people believe that doctors should use every means to maintain life as long as pos­sible. But others feel that hopelessly ill or injured pa­tients, particularly those who are very old, should not be subjected to invasive treatments just to gain a little more time. Instead, they should be made comfortable and al­lowed to die with dignity.

Some people believe that hopelessly ill patients should not only have the right to refuse treatment, but also to be put painlessly to death if they desire. They contend that each person has the right to control his or her life and to determine the time of his or her death. Others maintain that this right should be extended to the families of dying patients who are no longer capable of expressing their own desires. They argue that the family and doctor should be able to painlessly end the patient's suffering. Putting hopelessly ill people to death—with or without their requesting it—is called euthanasia, or mercy killing. It is illegal in most countries.

In 1993, the lower house of the Dutch parliament voted to legalize euthanasia. Mercy killing is considered lawful in the Netherlands when a patient suffering un­bearable pain for which there is no remedy repeatedly asks to be allowed to die.

Attitudes about death have changed during the 190ffs. About 1900, the majority of deaths were those of children who died of diphtheria, pneumonia, or some other infectious disease. Most people died at home, sur­rounded by their families. People were familiar with dying, and viewed death as a natural part of life.

Today, most people in industrial nations die from heart disease, cancer, stroke, or other diseases associ­ated with aging. As a result, about 95 per cent of all chil­dren reach adulthood without experiencing a death in their family. In addition, most deaths now occur in hos­pitals. Therefore, many young people have never been present at someone's death. This lack of experience makes it difficult for many people to talk openly about death or to be with a dying person.

The increasing number of deaths among the elderly has also affected attitudes about death. Many people have come to view the elderly as having "lived out their lives," and may experience the death of an elderly per­son as a minor emotional event. But the death of a child or a young adult is considered unexpected and unjust and may have long-lasting emotional consequences.

Traditionally, people have confronted death within a set of religious beliefs that gave it meaning apart from the natural world. Most religions teach that there is something in people that can survive the death of the body. Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs believe that after death the soul is reincarnated in another body, human or animal, and that a person's moral character during life will determine what he or she will be reborn as in the next life. They believe that reincarnation hap­pens many times before the soul is sufficiently purified to be freed from this cycle of death and rebirth. Chris­tians and

According to historical documents, Muslims took from Judaism the idea of a life after death in which a person's soul is judged according to his or her deeds. They believe that the good go to a life of eternal bliss in heaven or paradise, and the wicked are condemned to eternal suffering in hell. Most other religions have concepts of a journey after death to a place where the dead continue to exist.

All cultures have customs and rituals for mourning and for disposing of the dead. These rites are some­times long and elaborate, and often there are conven­tions concerning such matters as what clothing should be worn and what food should be provided. Observing these rituals helps people begin to face and deal with the grief that accompanies the loss of a loved one.

One convention observed by most cultures is that the body of a dead person should be publicly displayed for a certain time. This makes it possible for friends and rel­atives to make a form of personal farewell to the dead and so begin the process of acceptance and adjustment. It also ensures that the death is known to all and cannot be denied. A further administrative formality observed in most countries is a requirement of a death certificate, signed by a medical practitioner, verifying the fact of death and stating the cause. The certificate is usually necessary before a body can be disposed of. It helps to ensure that there are no suspicious circumstances asso­ciated with the death that could be concealed, and be­gins the process by which the dead person's property may be legally transferred to people who are still alive.

During the mid-1900's, many psychologists and other people became interested in the special emotional needs of dying people. For example, studies showed that friends, relatives, and even doctors and nurses avoided dying patients because of their own feelings about death. As a result, many critically ill patients suf­fered greatly from loneliness. To help solve this prob­lem, a number of medical schools, hospitals, colleges, and secondary schools and churches began to give courses designed to teach people about death and to be more responsive to the needs of the dying.

Related articles. Euthanasia, Immortality, Resurrection, Hospice, and Reincarnation