# Does a beating heart signify life exists in a human? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538 "2010-05-06T18:40:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/61 "2010-05-06T22:08:17Z")
Sir, there is no discussion here. There was a question from me. You chose to answer it. I have accepted your answer/s. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/62 "2010-05-06T22:09:17Z")
My apologies. I was addressing my response to **Smeghead**. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/63 "2010-05-06T22:11:06Z")
OK, if there are more, can you please give them. I won’t and I’m not here to argue. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/64 "2010-05-06T23:13:11Z")
As has been said, there is no one clear scientific answer to your question. This is because it is not a scientific question. It is a cultural and moral one. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/65 "2010-05-06T23:22:41Z")
From post #5, where you clarify what you’re asking: > [@](#): > > Thanks but I was asking if when a heartbeat is detected, does that mean life exists in that being. If you mean life as in cellular life, then life exists even before a heartbeat is detected. In fact, as far as cellular life is concerned, life existed even before conception. Therefore, the detection of a heartbeat is meaningless, from this perspective. If you mean life as in whether an individual being is alive, based upon whether their heart is beating, then no, a heartbeat is not necessarily evidence of a being, since we accept brain death of an individual as death, even though their heart has not stopped. If you mean life as whether there is a new being that exists in the world, then there is currently no scientific answer, because we don’t enough about consciousness. Even if we did, there is no indication that there is a clear delineation between preconscious and conscious. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/66 "2010-05-06T23:22:52Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > There is more than one “factual scientific answer.” > > Here’s hoping this gets through. I’m told there is. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/67 "2010-05-06T23:29:35Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > From post #5, where you clarify what you’re asking: > If you mean life as in cellular life, then life exists even before a heartbeat is detected. In fact, as far as cellular life is concerned, life existed even before conception. Therefore, the detection of a heartbeat is meaningless, from this perspective. > > If you mean life as in whether an individual being is alive, based upon whether their heart is beating, then no, a heartbeat is not necessarily evidence of a being, since we accept brain death of an individual as death, even though their heart has not stopped. > > If you mean life as whether there is a new being that exists in the world, then there is currently no scientific answer, because we don’t enough about consciousness. Even if we did, there is no indication that there is a clear delineation between preconscious and conscious. So then, life in this case is the combination of a heartbeat and brain activity? Right? You as a scientist would call it life. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/68 "2010-05-06T23:31:50Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > So then, life in this case is the combination of a heartbeat and brain activity? Right? You as a scientist would call it life. First clarify which meaning of life you mean. Then I can tell you no and give you the exact reason why not. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/69 "2010-05-06T23:32:56Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > So then, life in this case is the combination of a heartbeat and brain activity? Right? You as a scientist would call it life. What do you mean by life? Cellular life? Human life? Why do you not seem to get that science DOES NOT HAVE a single definition of life? ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/70 "2010-05-06T23:38:52Z")
When a pregnancy occurs, can a beating heart be detected? If a beating heart is detected in a human being, does that mean that human being is alive? ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/71 "2010-05-06T23:40:12Z")
I’d like the definition/s you have please. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/72 "2010-05-06T23:41:42Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > When a pregnancy occurs, can a beating heart be detected? See upthread. I think the answer was twenty five weeks into the pregnancy. > [@](#): > > If a beating heart is detected in a human being, does that mean that human being is alive? Define alive. No, seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/73 "2010-05-06T23:44:39Z")
I’d say alive is - functioning with specific unique intentions. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/74 "2010-05-06T23:49:45Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I’d say alive is - functioning with specific unique intentions. Now please define functioning. Considering all the way cells and organ can malfunction, I honestly don’t know what you mean by functioning. Now, what do you mean by intentions? Are you implying that life requires conscious intention in order to be alive? ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/75 "2010-05-06T23:56:43Z")
We are now getting into a debate and I am not looking for one. You might as well ask me to define every word I use. Thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/76 "2010-05-07T00:00:54Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > When a pregnancy occurs, can a beating heart be detected? No. The heart does not start beating until week #6, as stated way back in post #2. > [@](#): > > If a beating heart is detected in a human being, does that mean that human being is alive? It depends upon what you mean by alive. If you mean cellular life, then the heart beating or not does not necessarily signify anything. Before the heart tissue is even constructed, there is cellular life. Before conception, in fact, there is cellular life. And even if the heart stops beating, cellular life can continue until the lack of oxygen and the excess of cellular waste start to make cellular life untenable. If you mean alive an in a distinct multicellular organism, well, multi- means more than one, so at the first cell division you’ve got more than one cell for a single organism, but the possibility of twins sort of throws a monkey wrench into that definition. If you mean alive as in an individual person, there is no clear scientific answer as to when consciousness begins, but it clearly would be far, far after the heart has started beating. Some would say, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, that it doesn’t happen until 21 years after birth. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/77 "2010-05-07T00:02:09Z")
I’m not looking for a debate here either. But, to know whether a specific case is life or not we must first define life. I honestly found you’re definition extremely unclear and asked for further clarification. Re Functions A cancer cell has malfunctioned in several ways. I would say it’s still alive. A backed up kidney or a cirrhostic liver is also malfunctioning, yet alive. So you see that I need to know what you mean by “functioning”? I have no idea what intent has to do with life. Therefore, I asked you for a definition. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/78 "2010-05-07T00:19:50Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I’d say alive is - functioning with specific unique intentions. Brain-wave activity doesn’t even begin to be detected until week 25, as stated back in post #45, as well as a column by [some old fart](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2817/when-does-human-life-begin), also mentioned in post #45 (perhaps you should read that article). And we don’t know how to determine whether specific neural activity indicates the formation of intent. Do you consider the [patellar reflex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patellar_reflex) as intention? There’s neural activity going on. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/79 "2010-05-07T01:24:03Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > When a pregnancy occurs, can a beating heart be detected? Last time I got a woman pregnant, both our hearts were beating pretty fast. Pretty sure it could have been “detected.” ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538/80 "2010-05-07T01:37:34Z")
**Clu-Me-In** , seriously, try to create a full definition of life. That was the question my 7th grade Biology teacher asked us the very first day of school. It’s a bitch, isn’t it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-beating-heart-signify-life-exists-in-a-human/538538.md?page=5)