Aging and Death

Death is marked by the end of blood circulation, the end of oxygen transport to organs and tissues, the end of brain function, and overall organ failure. The diagnosis of death can occur legally after breathing and the heartbeat have stopped and when the pupils are unresponsive to light. The two major causes of death in the United States are heart disease and cancer.

Other causes of death include stroke, accidents, infectious diseases, murder, and suicide. While most of these phenomena are understood, the concept of stroke may be unclear. A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is impaired or stopped, severely diminishing some neurological function. Some cases of dementia result from several small strokes that may not have been detected.

Some people seek to thwart aging and death through technologies such as the transplantation of organs, cosmetic surgery, and cryopreservation (deep-freezing) of the recently deceased in the hope that a future society will have found the means to revitalize the body and sustain life.