What is death?

The traditional definition of death is when heartbeat and breathing stop for good. The heart stops the blood circulation, and all functions in the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem stop. At the same time, it is not always easy to determine when someone is dead. A human being can be kept alive on a respirator, even if the heart and lungs do not work on their own.

The electrical activity of the brain can be measured by an EEG apparatus. An EKG apparatus measures the electrical activity of the heart. Even if the heart stops beating, other organs and cells can still live, making organ transplantation possible.

When a person is determined to be dead, a doctor must fill out a death certificate. This public document can be used in statistics.