eli5: how come when your organs are in your body, they need to be 98 degrees, but in an organ transplant the organ is cooled?

Question

eli5: how come when your organs are in your body, they need to be 98 degrees, but in an organ transplant the organ is cooled?

In: 274

Answer 1

Because your organs don’t need to be working when in a transplant icebox. The cold helps slow down the speed at which cells run. In the cold, they function slower, and die slower.

Your heart will stop pumping if it gets too cold. That doesn’t mean it’s broken or rotten. Just that it’s stopped, and needs to be reheated and likely restarted.