Saturday, July 25, 2020

How Many Neurons Are in the Brain

How Many Neurons Are in the Brain Theories Biological Psychology Print How Many Neurons Are in the Brain? By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Claudia Chaves, MD on March 11, 2016 Claudia Chaves, MD, is board-certified in cerebrovascular disease and neurology with a subspecialty certification in vascular neurology. Learn about our Medical Review Board Claudia Chaves, MD Updated on February 09, 2020 Science Photo Library - KTSDESIGN / Getty Images More in Theories Biological Psychology Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Psychosocial Psychology Older estimates have long suggested that 100 billion neurons in the human brain was the magic number, but some more recent research suggests that the brain actually contains fewer neurons than previously believed.?? The human brain is made up of a complex network of neurons. These neurons serve as the building blocks of the nervous system, transmitting information to and from the brain and throughout the body. You probably expect that a large number of neurons are required for such a complex process, but just how many neurons are there in the human brain? Neurons in the Human Brain According to many estimates, the human brain contains around 100 billion neurons (give or take a few billion). This estimate has often been reported for many years in neuroscience and psychology textbooks and for many years was simply accepted as a relatively close approximation.?? Recently, however, Brazilian researcher Dr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel discovered that these estimates might not be entirely accurate. While the number is widely cited, she found that no one seemed to know where or when this number originated.?? She then decided to investigate in order to determine if the number is accurate. Estimating the number of neurons in the brain seems fairly simple on the surface. Simply take a sample of the brain, count the number of neurons in that sample and then extrapolate that information to account for the remaining brain volume. Do Humans All Have the Same Brain Size? While this seems like a fairly straightforward approach, neuron density differs in different regions of the brain. Counting neurons in a high-density part of the brain might lead to a high estimate while counting those in a lower density region might lead to an excessively low estimate. To overcome this problem, the researchers utilized a method that involved dissolving the cell membranes in order to create a sort of brain soup so that they could then count the number of cell nuclei in a sample.?? The nuclei of the cells were also stained to differentiate between neurons and glia, allowing researchers to then count the cell nuclei that belong to neurons.   It took me a couple of months to make peace with this idea that I was going to take somebodys brain or an animals brain and turn it into soup, Herculano-Houzel  explained to  Nature. But the thing is we have been learning so much by this method weve been getting numbers that people had not been able to get … Its really just one more method thats not any worse than just chopping your brain into little pieces. How many neurons did the researchers find in the brains they analyzed? We found that on average the human brain has 86 billion neurons. And not one that we looked at so far has 100 billion. Even though it may sound like a small difference the 14 billion neurons amount to pretty much the number of neurons that a baboon brain has or almost half the number of neurons in the gorilla brain. So thats a pretty large difference actually, explained Herculano-Houzel. So, according to this new research, the human brain likely has somewhere around 86 billion neurons.?? Neurons in Other Animals According to Herculano-Houzel, human brains are remarkably similar to primate brains with one important distinction: we have far more brain cells that require a tremendous amount of energy to fuel and maintain.?? Experts suggest that an estimated 25% of humans energy expenditure goes toward fueling all of these brain cells. The sheer number of neurons present in the human brain becomes more apparent when compared to other species. So how many neurons are in the brains of other animals? Fruit fly: 100 thousand neurons??Mouse: 75 million neurons??Cat: 250 million neurons??Chimpanzee: 7 billion neurons??Elephant: 257 billion neurons?? While the human brain might not have the mythic 100 billion neurons as long suspected, 86 billion is still nothing to sneeze at.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Essay about The Authors to Their Poems - 1951 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Anne Bradstreet and Emily Dickinson are both respected women poets in their own rights. Although in different manners, both poets discuss their poetry within their poetry. Bradstreet and Dickinson, as poets, were able to break free of male oppression and literary traditions of the period, to portray their emotions and imagination through their works, expressing their freedom and the construction of being a poet within the works. Dickinson and Bradstreet, however, wrote during different periods, where their styles greatly differed. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During the period in which Bradstreet published her works, males were the driving force in literature. For a woman to be publishing in the 1600s was†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"This is my letter to the World That never wrote to Me-- The simple News that Nature told-- With tender Majesty/ Her Message is committed To Hands I cannot see— For love of Her—Sweet—countrymen— Judge tenderly—of Me† (Dickinson 2503, ln 1-8). Dickinson’s letter is to the world, which ignores her, tells of Nature’s message about her works, and asks the world to judge them kindly. However, since this most likely was not actually written for people to read, it is Emily’s own acceptance of her work, written only for herself. This emotional plea with herself helps the readers see her dedication and passion for her writing. This letter can also be seen as Dickinson’s acceptance of rejection, when a few of her poems were submitted for publishing, and denied. She was confident enough to know that her poetry was incredible, and that men involved in publishing were too closed minded to allow her work to be printed. Dickinson is creatively able to place two different meanings into one poem, depending on how the reader choices to perceive it. By intertwining the idea of nature into her poem, while refereeing to it as something else, her abstract meanings can be taken at different levels. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Bradstreet’s poems â€Å"The Author to Her Book† (p270) and â€Å"The Prologue† (p 247-8) express her use of emotions within her work, while stillShow MoreRelatedEssay on Collection of Poems by Various Authors3882 Words   |  16 PagesCollection of Poems by Various Authors Poet Biography, Edgar Allan Poe The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Mamie by Carl Sandburg Explication, Mamie by Carl Sandburg Two Strangers Breakfast by Carl Sandburg Mag by Carl Sandburg Explications of Two Strangers Breakfast and Mag by Carl Sandburg Reasons Why by Langston Hughes Explication of Reasons Why by Langston Hughes The Faces of Our Youth by Franklin Delano Roosevelt Enjoyment, Explication, The Faces of Our Youth by FranklinRead MorePoems of Puritan Authors: Themes of Religious Beliefs in a God-Centric Life646 Words   |  3 Pagesunique identity, which was at least in the beginning, ruled by the religious beliefs of the population. Part of the structure of this identity, as with the cultural identity of any developing nation, has been created through the literature of American authors. When the Puritans came to the New World, they led a life that was focused on their religious beliefs. The church, prayer, and devotion to God were what dictated the behaviors of all people and the cultural development of those people. They left EnglandRead MoreThe Poetry Of Harlem And Women Have Loved Before As I Love Now925 Words   |  4 Pagesgrabs the attention of everyone who is reading this phenomenal poem. Of the two poems listed in this essay, this opening statement is more attention-grabbing and is a fantastic hook to being with. Harlem and Women Have Loved Before As I Love Now, are ideally comparable and contrastable. The meanings of the poems and the authors of the poems are some topics that are different in these poems. The style of the poems and length of the poems are the other topics that are the same and are comparable to thisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Murder By David Baker1168 Words   |  5 PagesIn the poem ‘Murder’ by David Baker, the author tells of how he survived a heartbreak that was so painful, that he compared it to murder itself. The poet had described the woman as a woman whose beauty was beyond compare. He had loved this woman with all his heart, and when she ended their relationship, it was like the murder of his heart, which was now shattered and aching. Towards the end of the poem, the author comes to a realization with his heart ache. He realizes that he loved her so much,Read MoreMarge Piercy’s Barbie Doll Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesThe Poem â€Å"Barbie Doll (1969)† by Marge Pie rcy describes the life of a young girl who fell victim to society’s idea of beauty. Marge Piercy was a known social activist and uses this poem to bring attention to serious issues facing young females in society. â€Å"Barbie Doll† by Marge Piercy is a narrative poem; the poem is written in free verse. The author selects a free form of poetry and other devices to help get her point across. The central message of this work is that society is obsessed withRead MoreAnalysis Of Mid Term Break By Seamus Heaney975 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem â€Å"Mid-Term Break† by Seamus Heaney give us some of the same unexpectedness. The title infers a poem about a student on their seasonal break, while the poem itself takes a sharp turn down a dark path. Dread builds as the reader continues, finally culminating in heartbreak when it is found out that it was the authors younger brother who has passed. The author elicits these emotions by his use of imagery, the breakup of the stanzas, and the tone of the poem. The use of words in this poem givesRead MoreA Critical Analysis of The Parting by Michael Drayton879 Words   |  4 PagesBy looking at a poem which has a specific form, for example the sonnet, consider to what extent its particular techniques enhance its meaning. The parting by Michael Drayton is a sonnet. It is a poem about the break up of the relationship between the author and his partner. I feel that the meaning of the poem is greatly enhanced by its form, and for a variety of reasons. Firstly, because the sonnet is a very strict form, the author has to be very careful in constructing his poem, to ensure thatRead MoreThe Road Not Taken Analysis1280 Words   |  6 PagesThe Road Not Taken As I read and analyzed this poem I became aware that it is indeed a great poem and that the reader must dig deep in order to find the true message of the poem. Careful readers shall not be tricked. The Basic Subject of the Poem The poem starts off with the title â€Å"The Road Not Taken.† At first sight this title could be used as foreshadow that the following poem will be about making a mistake, not making the right choice (not taking the right road) therefore establishing aRead MoreWilliam Browning And Elizabeth Barrett Browning Essay1197 Words   |  5 PagesThe Two Authors’ Different Perspective Literatures in the Victorian Era Many authors are influenced by the society, culture, politic and economy during their period. Therefore, their literary works usually describe the condition of their period directly or indirectly. The two authors, Roberts Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, also expose the culture and the condition of the society of the Victorian era through their works. The authors are married couple authors of the Victorian era. RobertsRead MorePoem Analysis : Ride Bus By Ruth Foreman And Making It935 Words   |  4 Pagespeople s lives is vital. This study will briefly discuss six poems before analyzing the poems titled introduction to poetry by Billy Collins, Poetry should ride a bus by Ruth Foreman and Making it in Poetry by Bob Hicok. The six poems written by different authors are similar yet different in some ways. The first similarity is the fact that the poems use different poetic devices to bring out the intended messages. Secondly, the poems are relatively short, and all of them seem to have a positive

Friday, May 8, 2020

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain - 2073 Words

There are many stories of archetypal heroes and their hero’s journey throughout the history of literature. However, few of those stories tell as critical and powerful of a story as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In the narrative The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the character Huckleberry (â€Å"Huck†) Finn goes on a hero’s journey, starting with his leave from home, to his learnings of the world with his mentor, to his figuring out of what is right and wrong, and finally to his final journey before normalcy, showing the theme of how friendship transcends superficial differences in the process. Huck grew up uncomfortable in his environment, gets the call to adventure, and met his mentor early on, like archetypal heroes. Huck’s uncomfortableness in his environment is similar to what archetypal heroes face and helps lead to the call to adventure. Huck did not like living in decent homes and with the requirements of society, as shown by wh en he mentions how â€Å"it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was† (Twain 1). The clean and stable life Huck lives with Widow Douglas did not satisfy him, similar to how archetypal heroes often start off unhappy about their environment. Thus, Huck often went on adventures with Tom Sawyer and the Gang to satisfy his unhappiness with the stable life. Those adventures also encourage Huck to go on a real adventure that should give him the life of freedom he wants. HuckShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain830 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is â€Å"A Great American Novel†, because of its complexity and richness. Twain writes dialogue that brings his characters to life. He creates characters with unique voice and helps the reader connect to the book. Anyone who reads it is forced to develop feelings for each character. Even though there is a great amount of controversy over the use of some choices, such as the â€Å"n word†, it makes the book more realistic. In the beginning of the novel Huck,Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1103 Words   |  5 PagesDmitri Van Duine Jr English Mr. Nelson November 27th The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Written by Mark Twain filled his stories with many examples of satire as to convey a message while also writing an interesting story. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn revolves around the adventures of a young boy called Huckleberry Finn, who is about thirteen years old. Tom Sawyer is Huck’s best friend and around the same age as Huck. He is onlyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesZambrano Mrs. Patmor AP Lit-Period 5 28 September 2016 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1835 Mark Twain embodies realism in almost every aspect of his writing not excluding The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which in he portrays such a lifelike setting that it almost gives you this sense of reality through the point of view of a young man that has an urge for freedom yet struggles to conform to society s norms due to his adolescence. Twain s ability to unmask the true identities of the charactersRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain931 Words   |  4 PagesWolski Mrs. Goska English 2H Period 3 22 October 2014 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mob mentality is the way an individual’s decisions become influenced by the often unprincipled actions of a crowd. Mark Twain penned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in America’s southern states during the early 1800’s, a time in which moral confusion erupted within the minds of humans. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn s protagonist is a young boy named Huck who freely travels alongRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1375 Words   |  6 Pagesmention the years spent growing and maturing physically. Teenagers are stuck in an inbetween state where they must learn who they want to become and what they want to be when they grow older. The same is true for Huckleberry Finn, from the book â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain. This is a book that was written in a time of great confusion over moral codes and standards. It was a world split in half by two different worlds of people; those who opposed, a nd those who promoted slavery.Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2083 Words   |  9 PagesSatire in Huckleberry Finn In the novel â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain, we are told a story about a young boy and his slave companion’s journey down the Mississippi River and all of their encounters with other characters. Twain constructed a beautiful narrative on how young Huck Finn, the protagonist in the story, learns about the world and from other adult characters, how he is shaped into his own person. At the time this book was made however, this novel provided serious socialRead MoreMark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1575 Words   |  6 Pages Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Controversy Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is a highly recognizable figure in American literature. Born in Florida, Missouri Mark Twain and his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri where Twain discovered and fell in love with the mighty Mississippi River. The river and his life in Hannibal became his inspiration and guiding light in most of his writing. Although Twain loved the river and did a great deal of traveling, he eventuallyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1005 Words   |  5 Pages In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in the 19th century is about a young boy named Huck Finn and Jim, a runaway slave who go on an adventure. The two travel on a raft along the Mississippi river creating a bond and making memories. Mark Twain presents Huckleberry Finn as a dynamic character who at first views Jim as property and eventually considers Jim as a friend, showing a change in maturity. In the beginning of the book, Huck Finn clearly sees Jim as nothing more thanRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1335 Words   |  6 Pagesyear The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is placed in the top ten banned books in America. People find the novel to be oppressing and racially insensitive due to its frequent use of the n-word and the portrayal of blacks as a Sambo caricature. However, this goes against Mark Twain’s intent of bringing awareness to the racism in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is classified under the genre of satire and is narrated by a fictional character named Huckleberry Finn. The novelRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain810 Words   |  4 PagesBefore Mark Twain started to write two of his most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark was known to use his characters to display his own thoughts and opinions. â€Å"This device allowed him to s ay just about anything he wanted, provided he could convincingly claim he was simply reporting what others had said.† (Twain, 1283). Mark Twain used this process to be a foundation of his lectures, by manipulating his popularly with his readers. During the story

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Aeneid of Greece by Virgil The Aeneid Free Essays

The Aeneid of Greece by Virgil The Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas’s journey in search of the land where he is destined to build the city that will one day become the great Roman Empire. Largely influenced by Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad, the Aeneid begins halfway through Aeneas’s journey, as he nears the city of Carthage, ruled over by Dido, who built the city after fleeing from her murderous brother. King Arthur of Britain, by Howard PyleThe character of King Arthur is larger than life. We will write a custom essay sample on The Aeneid of Greece by Virgil The Aeneid or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is rarely presented as truly human; he is either the idealized symbol of Camelot and the virtues of the Round Table, or he is a peripheral character sometimes virtuous but rarely with a penetrating intelligence capable of seeing long-term effects and making sound decisions. Whether a historical Arthur actually existed, what we are left with today is a mythological character, memorable and tantalizing in his virtues and foibles. Beowulf was written in England, but is set in Scandinavia. The author is unknown. This epic poem describes the hero Beowulf marching with his fourteen warriors and arrive at the place of Heorot where he finds that he king of Heorot Hrothgar terrified by a monster called Grendel. Beowulf manages to kill Grendel and his monster-mother at his abode beneath a lake. After that he returns to his country and becomes the king there and rules his kingdom for fifty years. He dies of the wounds he got once during the combat fought with a dragon. Gilgamesh Is the Priest-King of the city of Uruk. He is a tyrannical king who works his people to death and takes what he wants from them. He kills the young men at will and uses the women as he pleases. The people of Uruk cry out to the gods for help so that they can have peace. | Ramayana – is the immortal tale of Shri Rama that teaches us the values of ideology, devotion, duty, relationships, dharma and karma. Biag ni Lam-ang (Tagalog: â€Å"Buhay ni Lam-ang†) ay isang epikong tula ng mga Ilokano mula sa rehiyon ng Ilokos sa Pilipinas. Sinalaysay at sinulat sa orihinal na wikang Ilokano, pinapaniwalaang na pinaghalong gawa ito ng iba’t ibang mga lumilikha ng tula na pinasa sa pamamagitan ng mga salinlahi, at unang sinulat noong 1640 ng isang bulag na manunula na si Pedro Bucaneg. Ibalon – Author Fr. Jose Castano May tatlong mga bayani sa epiking ito: Baltog, Handyong, at Bantong. Unang bayaning dumating sa lupang ibalong ay si Baltog at sya ang nagpayaman ng bukid. Ang pangalawang bayani na dumating sa ibalon ay si Handyong, nakipaglaban siya kasama ng kanyang mga tao sa libu-libong mga giyera at digma. At si bantong ang namuno sa pag patay sa kalahating tao, at kalahating halimaw na c Rabot. | Analysis: The difference between western and eastern epic, the eastern epic involves the story about Indians and Philippines but in western epic they start from the medieval ages and it involve the story about the gods and the goddess. How to cite The Aeneid of Greece by Virgil The Aeneid, Papers

Monday, April 27, 2020

My Cousins Wedding Essay Example

My Cousins Wedding Paper Cousin Feet Story This past summer, I was invited to my wedding in India. I was very excited and happy for her that she was getting married during the time I was visiting my parents. She was twenty-seven years old and her future husband was 28 years old. The wedding was 2 days long. The first day was the wedding ceremony and the last day was the wedding reception. Today I will be telling you a story of a traditional Indian Wedding. My mom was screaming at the top of her lungs, like always, ask UT]o, shady pee Joana hail?C,-. ?0, which means she was telling us all to wake up, and that e all have a wedding to got to! I scrammed out of my bed and ran to get my outfit and hurried into the shower. My outfit was a sky, blue gown (a. K. A length) that ran past my feet, and with a veil that was taller than I was; 5 foot 3 and ?,?%. I finished getting ready, hoping that I have to wait in the 1 50 degree weather! But guess what? I DID! I yelled off of my lungs, tine garage (which means that It Is very hot here) out loud. My mother yelled at me and I was told to shut up. So we all got ready and ran Into my Safari and cranked up the alarm conditioner. Of course, my dad loves being green, so he shut off the alarm intentioned and turned down window. We will write a custom essay sample on My Cousins Wedding specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on My Cousins Wedding specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on My Cousins Wedding specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He fresh alarm of said my dad laughing as my my and my hair got ruined from the breeze. Yeah dad we just love the hot air and the sand being thrown in our yelled my sister. So we reached the wedding. It had a very long name but since I read Indian language I gave up in trying to figure out what the heck the plaza was called. I saw my cousin from afar waving to me in her beautiful red, burgundy, wedding dress which was similar to mine but since It was red that meant she was getting married. (If you have a red gown on, that means that you are either already married or you are getting aired. Another color represent anything special. ) She was tall and beautiful and looked so nervous, it was funny! Her husband was very tall; Just Like her. He was walling for her In the a holy place where you give your vows. He was not allowed to see the bride until they were facing each other; which happen until the end The priest read some holy stories that took, for me, forever. He told the couple to go around the ring of the fire 4 times. After that, the husband put a pure gold necklace with black beads around the bride and they were now known as husband and wife. It was so exciting that my other ND I started clapping so hard that our hands started to ache. After the ceremony was over, the (when the bride is leaving her family; going into a whole deferent family which waits for her arrival) was leaving. All of us started to cry from the fact that my cousin was leaving to her new home. Out of everyone the one who cried the most was the mother; surprisingly! Now, I will be telling you a little bit of the wedding reception. The couple was slating at their seats on the stage. My family started walking In and everyone was told that whoever wants to take a picture with the couple can go an take It now. I ran across ten anal Ana went to get my picture taken TLS so I have to wait in the crazy line! This time my cousin (the bride) was wearing a dark pink gown (a. K. A length) and looked so beautiful! We all danced and had a merry time. Everyone danced next to the wide stereos so the music would be blasting at their ears so they have to hear again in there whole life. After all it was a great wedding. This is my story about my wedding. This was the first time that I have ever been to a traditional Indian Wedding in India! Shari (This means Thank You)

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Nuclear Weapons essays

Nuclear Weapons essays A group of junior high students assembled outside of their school early one morning. The teachers instructed the students to form lines facing towards the school when something caught one of the students eyes. Soon the other students noticed what appeared to be an airplane in the sky. They all pointed and jumped as they saw the aircraft fly overhead. The teachers then ordered the students to stop watching the plane and face the front. While the students looked away a bright blue flash appeared in the corner of their eyes. Then the whiteness came. The students were thrown from their positions, some for ten meters. The childrens clothes had been torn to rags from the intense heat and their skin hung from their bodies like their clothing. The children stumbled around, many of them intensely burned. One child began to wander off from the playground in search of his house. He approached a river where he jumped in to squelch the burning he felt throughout his body. He saw a ma n whose entire upper body was peeled of its skin, it hung from him like a half-peeled banana. There was a woman there whose eyes protruded from her sockets as if they were forcing themselves from her head. Fires burned all around, four to five meters high and more and more people came out of their houses (Takahasi). This event is a true story that took place on August 6th, 1945 during World War II. At 8:15 am an American B-29 named the Enola Gay dropped a three-meter long 20,000-ton atomic bomb named Little Boy on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. At the point of impact the temperature of the bomb was estimated at several millions of degrees Celsius and a fireball was created with a fifteen-meter radius. The bomb threw air and earth into the sky created a giant mushroom cloud. The top of the mushroom cloud itself reached to 17,000 meters. The bomb caused a huge shock wave, which demolished anything within its path. Th...

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The Islam Faiths Views on Life Support and Euthanasia

The Islam Faith's Views on Life Support and Euthanasia Islam teaches that the control of life and death is in Allahs hands, and cannot be manipulated by human beings. Life itself is sacred, and it is therefore forbidden to end life deliberately, either through homicide or suicide. To do so would be to reject  faith in Allahs divine decree. Allah determines  how long each person will live. The Quran says: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! (Quran 4:29) ...if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. (Quran 5:23) ...take not life, which Allah has  made sacred, except by way of justice and law. Thus He does command you, that you  may learn wisdom. (Quran  6:151) Medical Intervention Muslims do believe in medical treatment. In fact, many scholars consider it  mandatory in Islam to seek medical help for illness, according to two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad: Seek treatment, believers of Allah, for Allah has made a cure to every illness.   and Your body has a right over  you. Muslims are encouraged to search the natural world for remedies  and use scientific knowledge to develop new medicines.  However, when a patient has reached the terminal stage (when  treatment holds no promise of a cure) it is not required to sustain excessive life-saving remedies.   Life Support When it is clear that there is no treatment left available to cure a terminal  patient, Islam advises only the continuation of basic  care such as food and drink.  It is not considered homicide to withdraw other  treatments in order to allow the patient to die naturally. If a patient is declared brain-dead by doctors, including situations in which there is no activity in the brain stem, the patient is considered dead and no artificial  support functions need to be provided. Ceasing such care is not considered homicide if the patient is already clinically dead. Euthanasia All Islamic scholars, in all schools of Islamic jurisprudence,  regard active euthanasia as forbidden (haram). Allah determines the timing of death, and we should not seek or attempt to hasten it. Euthanasia is meant to relieve the  pain and suffering of a terminally-ill patient. But as Muslims, we are never to fall into despair about Allahs mercy and wisdom.  The Prophet Muhammad once told this story: Among the nations before you there was a man who got wounded, and growing impatient (with pain), he took a knife and cut his hand with it. The blood did not stop until he died. Allah (Exalted be He) said, My slave hastened to bring about his demise; I have forbidden Paradise to him (Bukhari and Muslim). Patience When a person is suffering from unbearable  pain, a Muslim is advised to remember that Allah tests us with pain and suffering in this life, and we must patiently persevere. The Prophet Muhammad advised us to make this dua  on such occasions: Oh Allah, make me live as long as life is better for me, and make me die if death is better for me (Bukhari and Muslim). Wishing for death simply to alleviate suffering is against the teachings of Islam, as it challenges Allahs wisdom and we must be patient with what Allah has written for us. The Quran says: ...bear with patient constancy whatever befalls you (Quran 31:17). ...those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure! (Quran  39:10). That said, Muslims are advised to comfort those who are suffering and  make use of palliative care.