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

Well the organ needs to be at that temp to function. When it isn’t inside you you don’t need the heart to pump blood. You need it to not break down and rot. Once it is back inside a persons chest is when you want it to start working again.