Even after someone
is declared dead, life continues in the body, suggests a surprising new
study with important implications.
Gene expression — when
information stored in DNA is converted into instructions for
making proteins or other molecules — actually increases in some cases
after death, according to the new paper, which tracked postmortem activity
and is published in the journal Open Biology.
"Not all cells are 'dead' when an organism dies,"
senior author Peter Noble of the University of Washington and Alabama State
University told Seeker. "Different cell types have different life spans,
generation times and resilience to extreme stress."
In fact, some cells
seem to fight to live after the organism has died.
"It is likely
that some cells remain alive and are attempting to repair themselves,
specifically stem cells," Noble said.
Signs of Cellular Life
The international team
of scientists, led by Alex Pozhitkov, studied zebrafish and mice and believe
that the phenomenon occurs in all animals, including humans.
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Gene transcription —
the first step of gene expression, where a segment of DNA is copied into RNA —
associated with stress, immunity, inflammation, cancer and other factors
increased after death. And this could happen within hours or even days after
the individual as a whole was declared dead.
Interestingly, gene
transcription linked to embryonic development also increased. It's as though
parts of the body essentially go back in time, exhibiting cellular
characteristics of very early human development.
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