Originally published June 14 2005
Scientists study secrets of hibernation to help humans
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A recent Boston Globe article revealed that researchers at the University of Alaska are studying hibernation in animals in hopes of someday being able to artificially induce hibernation in harvested human organs for longer storage before transplant.
Every winter, as temperatures drop and conditions turn harsh outdoors, a large number of mammals undergo an extraordinary transformation that has captivated scientists for decades: They hibernate.
As their bodies cool down to temperatures that would be lethal to us, these animals enter a very low metabolic state: Their hearts slow from hundreds of beats per minute to four or five, they nearly stop breathing, their brains essentially shut down.
For weeks, and, in some species, months at a time, all the life support these animals need is air.
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