Why can’t we live forever if we keep transplanting new/younger organs

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If a person keeps transplanting new / younger organs (Let say every 10 years you replace one part). I understand there’s compatibility issues but barring that is that technically not possible? Or does our brain literally just shuts down after time as-well?

In: Biology

6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

On top of people pointing out you can’t replace the brain, there are far more problems to this. The entire body is subject to wear and tear, not just the organs contained in your torso. Your joints, skin, circulatory system, *everything*. Replacing these isn’t possible. Also, having even a single transplant means taking immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of your life to prevent/delay rejection or graft vs host disease. The level of suppression you’d need to deal with an almost entirely transplanted body would make you liable to die from a common cold.

Anonymous 0 Comments

No. Even if somehow you were able to transplant a brain, you would lose all of your memories. The brain is the only irreplaceable part of your body. Lungs heart and kidney can be replaced. However, your brain contains your whole life on it. It’s like a save file. You’re suggesting to take out the save file and put in your friends. You would forget all about yourself and you would basically become the person whose brain you put in. In conclusion, the only way this might be possible is if scientists find a way to put all of the information from your brain into an artificial brain.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The problem is, you probably die of some sort of cancer. Most likely brain cancer (because you can’t change your brain).

But If you’re lucky and won’t get cancer, you have to deal with Alzheimer. Something you probably get because we get older and older. There isn’t much we know about Alzheimer, but most people think it is some sort of protection to not “overload” our brains.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Not sure why you limit your replacement to organs – how about skin, bones, cartilage, nerves, blood vessels … if you think about it – how would you operate to do this?. Also – what is the source of the ‘new’ supply? Other younger people?

Anonymous 0 Comments

No because of CURRENT state of technology. In 100 years our memories might be transferable from one host to another. It’s just not possible YET.

People who comment something is “impossible” forget that years ago on a cavemen’s forum when a homo-erectus asked “can people live beyond 30”, they would be downvoted to oblivion with “no because of polio”, “no because of bears” and “no one can survive 10 harsh winters”

Anonymous 0 Comments

You know how old people often die of things which they could easily have survived 10 or 20 years prior? Heavy surgery takes a took on the body, you’d kill more people by performing the transplantation than you’ll ever “save.”

Also, it’s like hiding from the rain under a tree. You think that after a while when the tree gets saturated with water and stops shielding you, you can switch to another, but all the other ones have been equally saturating for equally long. Likewise, the organ which kills people might be the first to fail terminally, but often there are others just as close to collapse after it.