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Question
Do you consider a person in coma-living or dead?
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Solution
When it comes to humans, defining their living state is quite challenging. A person could be in a coma for a long time. The person is alive by technical definition because he is not brain-dead. Most of their essential organs, however, have stopped working. The life support system keeps such a person alive. The oxygenation and circulation functions of a heart and lung machine are performed continuously. To fulfil the function of the kidneys, a dialysis unit may be used. Intravenous fluids provide nutrients to the patient.
Because the person is in a coma, he is completely unaware of his surroundings. To put it another way, he is unable to respond to stimuli, which is one of life's defining characteristics. Metabolic activities are ongoing since the person is kept alive by the life support system. As a result, the individual can be considered deceased.
However, we must remember that once he is taken off the life support system, he will become brain-dead and, by technical definition, dead. So, determining whether a person in a coma is alive or dead is a challenging task.
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