Life Of Shakespeare

CRYONICS

In 1967, a 74-year-old lung cancer patient named James H Bedford became the first human being frozen at the moment he was pronounced clinically dead. Today people have the option to have their head cryonically preserved at a cost. If you want to have your body including your head the cost can get extremely expensive. Cryonics gives people hope and the possibility that science will someday be able to awaken them. The process of cyronics is a process that is yet to be tested as far as awakening a frozen body.

The body is frozen at a temperature of minus 196 degrees C. Since the speed at which the freezing occurs large ice crystals lack the time to grow and remain small and relatively small and harmless. If the freezing was slow large ice crystals form and surround the cells, the sharp edged crystals could possibly puncture a protective cell membrane. The cell would then become dehydrated and be destroyed collapsing on itself. To minimize problems that may occur the body is drained of its blood supply and a certain type of antifreeze is pumped into the body.

The body is then immersed in a thermos flask containing liquid nitrogen. Throughout this process the body cannot go above the minus 196 degrees C that is required. "Some cryobiologists believe that below this temperature there is essentially no biochemical activity, and the body can be preserved for centuries, Other's are more skeptical" (Bagwell 2). Until this is proven they'll continue to be opposing sides on this issue. Not many scientists are convinced the body can be brought back to life.

The basis of cryonics is that everything you are is located in your brain therefore people that choose to be frozen only have their head kept for future use. Ken Diller, director of the biomedical engineering program at the University of Texas says, "Most