Definition of laggard in US English - a person who makes slow progress and falls behind others Definition of laggard in US English - a person who makes slow progress and falls behind others dictionary
Unconsciousness occurs within about 30 seconds, so it's not as if you would have very much time to contemplate what is happening. Once the brain goes unconscious, tissue begins to die after about 5 minutes of oxygen starvation. After this point, there may only be small islands of activity remaining in various brain structures. After ten to fifteen minutes, complete brain death will usually occur. One exception to this is if the brain (and body) are in a state of hypothermia. Extreme cold can induce a process called neuroprotection; metabolism is greatly reduced, and the brain can survive for much longer than it would at room temperature.
3. How long can the brain go without oxygen before serious damage occurs? After five to ten minutes of not breathing, you are likely to develop serious and possibly irreversible brain damage. The one exception is when a younger person stops breathing and also becomes very cold at the same time. This can occur when a child is suddenly plunged into very cold water and drowns. In this situation, survival after more than 30 minutes has been known to occur. Return to the list of Frequently Asked Questions >>