• Question: When we die, what happens to our cells? I'm sure that some Of them just float in the universe. The weird thing is, how can mankind carry on producing if eventually resources may run out, it is likely that we are living off other people who have died, we would eventually die if slowly cells of dead people float into space?

    Asked by dizzyg12 to Dilwar, Lou, Rachel, Simon, Susan on 19 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Simon Langley-Evans

      Simon Langley-Evans answered on 19 Nov 2013:

      Dizzy

      When we die our cells go through a process called necrosis. Essentially the cells die too because they are no longer receiving a blood supply and so are starved of oxygen and nutrients. The cells will break down into their constituent molecules (proteins, fats etc) and then the bacteria and fungi that break down our bodies as they rot will make use of those molecules for their own growth. We are basically recycled back into the natural world.

      Nothing floats off anywhere in the universe but our cellular material is incorporated into other organisms, into the soil, into the water and distributed around.

    • Photo: Susan Skelton

      Susan Skelton answered on 20 Nov 2013:

      Hey dizzy,
      When we die, our cells die too. And just as we disintegrate, so do our cells.

      Our cells break down into the molecules, and eventually atoms, that they are made up of. When they are in this state, there is no way of knowing if an atom used to part of a person, or a building, or some grass; all atoms of the same type look the same, whatever their history. The atoms then are used to make new people, animals, trees or houses.

      Nothing floats away into space: the Earth’s gravity holds everything here.

Comments