Some genes inside the body are still alive and self-repaired after humans die.(Photo: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz.)
Scientists at the University of Washington, USA, discovered hundreds of genes in the human body that remain alive about two days after the heart stops beating.
When studying the deaths of rats and zebrafish, the team found that there were 548 zebrafish genes and 515 mouse genes that had strong levels of information RNA (mARN), while active most of the genes are reduced. These genes continue to last for 48 hours after the animal dies, calling it "the sunset of death".
Peter Noble, the lead author of the study, said: " After the organism dies, not all cells die. Different types of cells have time to divide, life, ability. Most likely, some cells are still alive and try to repair themselves, especially stem cells. "
According to the study group, some genes are activated because they have mechanisms to prevent themselves from being deactivated or they are suppressed by other genes when the body is alive and until death occurs then That gene is "free" to work.
Noble believes that this process also occurs in humans. The genes discovered still work after the death of the body in connection with fetal development, immunity, inflammatory diseases and cancer. This may explain in part why many transplant recipients are prone to cancer after being replaced by a new organ.
In addition, scientists hope this discovery could be used by forensic scientists to calculate the time of human death to the point.