What can a person endure. What can the human body endure? How much electric shock can we withstand

07.09.2021

The human body is very delicate. Without additional protection, it can only function in a narrow temperature range and at a certain pressure. It must constantly receive water and nutrients. It will not survive a fall from more than a few meters. How much can it take human body? When our body is threatened with death?

1. Body temperature.

Limits of survival: body temperature can vary from + 20 ° C to + 41 ° C.

Conclusions: usually our temperature ranges from 35.8 to 37.3 ° C. This temperature regime body ensures the smooth functioning of all organs. Temperatures above 41°C cause significant fluid loss, dehydration and organ damage. At temperatures below 20 ° C, blood flow stops.

The temperature of the human body is different from the temperature environment. A person can live in an environment at a temperature of -40 to +60 ° C. It is interesting that a decrease in temperature is just as dangerous as its increase. At a temperature of 35 C, our motor functions begin to deteriorate, at 33 ° C we begin to lose orientation, and at a temperature of 30 ° C we lose consciousness. A body temperature of 20°C is the limit below which the heart stops beating and the person dies. However, medicine knows the case when it was possible to save a man whose body temperature was only 13 ° C. (Photo: David Martín / flickr.com).

2. The efficiency of the heart.

Limits of survival: from 40 to 226 beats per minute.

Conclusions: a low heart rate leads to a decrease in blood pressure and loss of consciousness; too high a heart rate leads to a heart attack and death.

The heart must constantly pump blood and distribute it throughout the body. If the heart stops working, brain death occurs. The pulse is a wave of pressure induced by the release of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta, from where it is distributed by arteries throughout the body.

Interestingly, the "life" of the heart in most mammals averages 1,000,000,000 beats, while a healthy human heart performs three times as many beats in its entire life. A healthy adult heart beats 100,000 times a day. In professional athletes, the resting heart rate is often as low as 40 beats per minute. The length of all blood vessels in the human body, if connected, is 100,000 km, which is two and a half times longer than the length of the Earth's equator.

Did you know that the total capacity of the human heart over 80 years of human life is so great that it could pull a steam locomotive up the highest mountain in Europe - Mont Blanc (4810 m above sea level)? (Photo: Jo Christian Oterhals/flickr.com).

3. Overloading the brain with information.

Limits of survival: each person is individual.
Conclusions: information overload leads to the fact that the human brain falls into a state of depression and ceases to function properly. The person is confused, begins to carry nonsense, sometimes loses consciousness, and after the symptoms disappear, he does not remember anything. Prolonged overload of the brain can lead to mental illness.

On average, the human brain can store as much information as 20,000 average dictionaries contain. However, even such an efficient organ can overheat due to an excess of information.

Interesting: shock resulting from extreme irritation nervous system, can lead to a state of stupor (stupor), while a person ceases to control himself: he can suddenly go out, become aggressive, talk nonsense and behave unpredictably.

Did you know that the total length of nerve fibers in the brain is between 150,000 and 180,000 km? (Photo: Zombola Photography/flickr.com).

4. Noise level.

Survival limits: 190 decibels.

Conclusions: at a noise level of 160 decibels, eardrums begin to burst in people. More intense sounds can damage other organs, particularly the lungs. The pressure wave ruptures the lungs, causing air to enter the bloodstream. This, in turn, leads to blockage of the blood vessels (emboli), which causes shock, myocardial infarction, and eventually death.

Typically, the range of noise we experience ranges from 20 decibels (whispers) to 120 decibels (airplanes taking off). Anything above this limit becomes painful for us. Interesting: being in a noisy environment is harmful to a person, reduces his efficiency and distracts. A person is not able to get used to loud sounds.

Did you know that loud or unpleasant sounds are still used, unfortunately, during the interrogation of prisoners of war, as well as in the training of special services soldiers? (Photo: Leanne Boulton/flickr.com).

5. The amount of blood in the body.

Limits of survival: loss of 3 liters of blood, that is, 40-50 percent of the total in the body.

Conclusions: lack of blood leads to a slowdown in the heart, because it has nothing to pump. The pressure drops so much that the blood can no longer fill the chambers of the heart, which leads to its stop. The brain does not receive oxygen, stops working and dies.

The main task of blood is to distribute oxygen throughout the body, that is, to saturate all organs with oxygen, including the brain. In addition, blood removes carbon dioxide from tissues and carries nutrients throughout the body.

Interesting: the human body contains 4-6 liters of blood (which is 8% of body weight). The loss of 0.5 liters of blood in adults is not dangerous, but when the body lacks 2 liters of blood, there is a great risk to life, in such cases medical attention is needed.

Did you know that other mammals and birds have the same ratio of blood to body weight - 8%? And the record amount of blood lost in a person who still survived was 4.5 liters? (Photo: Tomitheos/flickr.com).

6. Height and depth.

Survival limits: from -18 to 4500 m above sea level.

Conclusions: if a person without training, not knowing the rules, and also dives to a depth of more than 18 meters without special equipment, he is threatened with rupture of the eardrums, damage to the lungs and nose, too high pressure in other organs, loss of consciousness and death from drowning. Whereas at an altitude of more than 4500 meters above sea level, a lack of oxygen in the inhaled air for 6-12 hours can lead to swelling of the lungs and brain. If a person cannot descend to a lower altitude, he will die.

Interesting: an unprepared human body without special equipment can live in a relatively small range of altitudes. Only trained people (divers and climbers) can dive to a depth of more than 18 meters and climb mountains, and even they use special equipment for this - diving cylinders and climbing equipment.

Did you know that the record in one-breath diving belongs to the Italian Umberto Pelizzari - he dived to a depth of 150 m. During the dive, he experienced tremendous pressure: 13 kilograms per square centimeter of the body, that is, about 250 tons for the whole body. (Photo: B℮n/flickr.com).

7. Lack of water.

Survival limits: 7-10 days.

Conclusions: lack of water for a long time (7-10 days) leads to the fact that the blood becomes so thick that it cannot move through the vessels, and the heart is not able to distribute it throughout the body.

Two-thirds of the human body (weight) consists of water, which is necessary for the proper functioning of the body. The kidneys need water to remove toxins from the body, the lungs need water to moisten the air we exhale. Water is also involved in the processes occurring in the cells of our body.

Interesting: when the body lacks about 5 liters of water, a person begins to feel dizzy or faint. With a lack of water in the amount of 10 liters, severe convulsions begin, with a 15-liter deficit of water, a person dies.

Did you know that in the process of breathing we consume about 400 ml of water daily? Not only lack of water can kill us, but its excess. Such a case occurred with one woman from California (USA), who during the competition drank 7.5 liters of water in a short period of time, as a result of which she lost consciousness and died a few hours later. (Photo: Shutterstock).

8. Hunger.

Survival limits: 60 days.

Conclusions: the lack of nutrients affects the functioning of the whole organism. A starving person's heart rate slows down, blood cholesterol levels rise, heart failure and irreversible damage to the liver and kidneys occur. A person exhausted by hunger also has hallucinations, he becomes lethargic and very weak.

A person eats food to provide himself with energy for the work of the whole organism. A healthy, well-nourished person who has access to enough water and is in a friendly environment can survive about 60 days without food.

Interesting: the feeling of hunger usually appears a few hours after the last meal. During the first three days without food, the human body expends energy from the food that was last eaten. Then the liver begins to break down and consume fat from the body. After three weeks, the body begins to burn energy from the muscles and internal organs.

Did you know that the American Amerykanin Charles R. McNabb, who in 2004 starved in prison for 123 days, remained the longest and survived? He drank only water and sometimes a cup of coffee.

Do you know that about 25,000 people die of hunger every day in the world?

The German philosopher F. Nietzsche wrote: “A person can endure any “what”, if he has a sufficiently large “why”. You can awaken yourself to great things only by having exciting dreams.

The best motivation is self-motivation. Some say this: "I want someone to appear and direct me in the right direction." Well, what happens if no one shows up? That's when you will mature the best program actions.

Effective method increasing motivation is not losing sight of the goal. You need to paint pictures of the benefits of a new life that will be available after achieving the goal, thereby maintaining the fire of your desires. Make a list of all the benefits that you can get as a result of achieving your goal - you will see that the longer the list, the higher your motivation and decisiveness. You need to have at least 20 30 reasons to achieve your main goal in life. Write down your innermost goals in large letters on cards and browse morning and evening, fixing attention on each for 10-30 seconds. At the same time, feel the feeling of pleasure and happiness that would accompany the successful fulfillment of your desire. Despite the simplicity, this is a very powerful technique, since, in essence, it is aimed at activating the work of the subconscious, which will increase sensitivity during the day and night to what can help achieve goals.

Make an audio recording of your desires in the affirmative form accompanied by soft classical music - and listen to them regularly in a relaxed state: as you know, the subconscious mind is very open to the sound of its own voice. Many great people claim that this is active meditation they managed to keep the goal in mind 24/7. Skepticism of this approach has long been rejected by numerous scientific research.

Another effective way Reward yourself for pieces of work done that bring you closer to your goal. It’s great if someone praises you for the slightest success in your work, but this technique is not always available and you have to resort to to self-reward. Rewards should be in the field of your possibilities. It could be shopping, reading, playing with your pet, taking a shower, or enjoying the scent of a flower. For this method to work, the reward must immediately follow the work, and don't be put off.

Get a special folder on the cover, which write your main goal in life. When you come across ideas that inspire you in books, newspapers, magazines, collect them in this folder. This will keep you motivated and serve your mission.

We've all heard the epic stories of people surviving a bullet to the head, surviving a fall from a 10th floor, or roaming the sea for months. But it is enough to place a person anywhere in the known universe except for a thin layer of space extending a couple of miles above sea level on Earth, or below it, and the death of a person is inevitable. No matter how strong and elastic our body may seem in some situations, in the context of the cosmos as a whole, it is frighteningly fragile.

Many of the boundaries within which the average person can survive are fairly well defined. An example is the well-known "rule of threes", which determines how long we can go without air, water and food (approximately three minutes, three days, and three weeks, respectively). Other limits are more controversial because people rarely test them (or don't test them at all). For example, how long can you stay awake before you die? How high can you get up before you suffocate? How much acceleration can your body withstand before it breaks apart?

Decades of experiments have helped define the boundaries within which we live. Some of them were purposeful, some were accidental.

How long can we stay awake?

It is known that Air Force pilots, after three or four days of wakefulness, fell into such an uncontrollable state that they crashed their planes (falling asleep at the helm). Even one night without sleep affects the ability of the driver in the same way as intoxication. The absolute limit of voluntary sleep resistance is 264 hours (about 11 days). This record was set by 17-year-old Randy Gardner for a high school science project fair in 1965. Before he fell asleep on the 11th day, he was actually a plant with open eyes.

But how long would it take for him to die?

In June of this year, a 26-year-old Chinese man died after 11 days without sleep while trying to watch all the European Championship games. At the same time, he consumed alcohol and smoked, which makes it difficult to determine the exact cause of death. But just because of lack of sleep, definitely not a single person died. And for obvious ethical reasons, scientists cannot determine this period in the laboratory.

But they were able to do it on rats. In 1999, sleep researchers at the University of Chicago placed rats on a spinning disk above a pool of water. They continuously recorded the behavior of the rats using a computer program capable of recognizing the onset of sleep. As the rat began to fall asleep, the disc would suddenly turn, awakening it, throwing it against the wall and threatening to throw it into the water. The rats typically died after two weeks of this treatment. Before death, the rodents showed symptoms of hypermetabolism, a condition in which the resting metabolic rate of the body increases so much that all excess calories are burned, even when the body is completely immobile. Hypermetabolism is associated with lack of sleep.

How much radiation can we withstand?

Radiation is a long-term danger because it causes DNA mutations, changing the genetic code in a way that leads to cancerous cell growth. But what dose of radiation will kill you immediately? According to Peter Caracappa, a nuclear engineer and radiation safety specialist at Rensler Polytechnic Institute, a dose of 5-6 sieverts (Sv) in a few minutes will destroy too many cells for the body to cope with. "The longer the dose accumulation period, the higher the chances of survival, as the body is trying to repair itself at this time," Caracappa explained.

By comparison, some workers at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant received 0.4 to 1 Sv of radiation in an hour while confronting the accident last March. Although they survived, their cancer risk is significantly increased, scientists say.

Even if accidents at nuclear power plants and supernova explosions can be avoided, the natural radiation background on Earth (from sources such as uranium in the soil, cosmic rays and medical devices) increase our chances of getting cancer in any given year by 0.025 percent, Caracappa says. This places a somewhat odd limit on human lifespan.

"The average person ... receiving an average dose of background radiation every year for 4,000 years, in the absence of other factors, will inevitably get cancer caused by radiation," Caracappa says. In other words, even if we can defeat all diseases and turn off the genetic commands that control the aging process, we still won't live beyond 4,000 years.

How much acceleration can we sustain?

The chest protects our heart from strong blows, but it is not reliable protection against jerks, which have become possible today thanks to the development of technology. What acceleration can this organ of ours withstand?

NASA and military researchers have run a series of tests in an attempt to answer this question. The purpose of these tests was the safety of structures of space and air vehicles. (We don't want astronauts to pass out during rocket takeoff.) negative influence on our insides, due to the asymmetry of the acting forces. According to a recent article published in the journal Popular Science, a horizontal acceleration of 14 g is capable of tearing our organs apart. Acceleration along the body towards the head can shift all the blood to the legs. Such a vertical acceleration of 4 to 8 g will make you unconscious. (1 g is the force of gravity that we feel on earth's surface, at 14 g - this is the force of gravity on the planet, 14 times more massive than ours.)

Acceleration directed forward or backward is the most favorable for the body, since in this case both the head and the heart are accelerated equally. Military "braking" experiments in the 1940s and 1950s (essentially using rocket sleds moving all over Edwards Air Force Base in California) showed that we could brake at an acceleration of 45 g and still be alive to talk about it. With this kind of braking, moving at speeds above 1000 km per hour, you can stop in a split second, having traveled several hundred feet. When braking at 50 g, we are, according to experts, we are likely to turn into a bag of separate organs.

What environmental changes are we able to withstand?

Different people can endure various changes habitual atmospheric conditions, regardless of whether it is a change in temperature, pressure, or oxygen content in the air. The limits of survival are also related to how slowly environmental changes occur, as our body is able to gradually adjust its oxygen intake and change metabolism in response to extreme conditions. But, nevertheless, we can roughly estimate what we are able to withstand.

Most people begin to suffer from overheating after 10 minutes in an extremely humid and hot environment (60 degrees Celsius). Determining the limits of death from freezing is more difficult. A person usually dies when their body temperature drops to 21 degrees Celsius. But how long it takes depends on how "accustomed to the cold" one is, and whether the mysterious, latent form of "hibernation" that is known to occur occasionally has emerged.

Survival boundaries are much better set for long-term comfort. According to a 1958 NASA report, humans can live indefinitely in an environment that is between 4 and 35 degrees Celsius, as long as the latter temperature is below 50 percent relative humidity. With less humidity Maximum temperature increases, since less moisture in the air facilitates the process of sweating, and thereby cooling the body.

As can be seen from science fiction movies in which an astronaut's helmet is opened outside of a spacecraft, we are not able to survive for long at very low levels of pressure or oxygen. At normal atmospheric pressure, air contains 21 percent oxygen. We will die of asphyxiation if the oxygen concentration drops below 11 percent. Too much oxygen also kills, gradually causing pneumonia over several days.

We pass out when the pressure drops below 57 percent atmospheric pressure, which corresponds to a rise to a height of 4500 meters. Climbers are able to climb higher mountains as their bodies gradually adapt to the reduced amount of oxygen, but no one can live long enough without oxygen tanks above 7,900 meters.

It's about 8 kilometers up. And there are still almost 46 billion light-years to the edge of the known universe.

Natalia Volchover (Natalie Wolchover)

"Little Mysteries of Life" (Life's Little Mysteries)

August 2012

Translation: Gusev Alexander Vladimirovich

The human body needs a constant supply of water and food, maintaining a certain temperature and pressure. What hardships can the human body endure?

1. Body temperature.

Usually body temperature fluctuates between 35.8-37.3 degrees. C. It is in this interval that all organs function normally. With an increase in body temperature above 41 degrees. C begins dehydration of the body and damage to organs, and with a decrease of less than 20 degrees C, blood flow stops.

Man has adapted to life in extremely cold regions. But when the body temperature is cooled to 35 degrees. With deteriorating motor functions, up to 33 degrees. C - orientation in space is lost, up to 30 degrees C - loss of consciousness occurs.

2. The efficiency of the heart.

The heart can withstand a load of 40 to 226 beats per minute.

A low heart rate leads to a decrease in blood pressure and loss of consciousness; too high a heart rate leads to a heart attack and death. When the heart stops working, the blood supply to the brain stops and it dies.

The power of the human heart in its entire life is so great that it could drag a steam locomotive to the top of Mont Blanc.

3. Overloading the brain with information.

The average human brain has a way of storing the amount of information contained in 20,000 dictionaries. But even he can not withstand the overload. In this case, the brain stops functioning properly. A person in this case begins to behave inappropriately, delirious, and may lose consciousness.

4. Noise level.

The level of noise that a person is able to perceive painlessly varies from 20 decibels (quiet whisper) to 120 decibels (noise from an airplane taking off). Staying in a noisy environment significantly reduces a person's performance.

When the noise level increases to 160 decibels, the eardrums burst. With even more loud noise the pressure wave is capable of rupturing the lungs, eventually leading to death.

5. The amount of blood in the body.

The human body contains 5-6 liters of blood (8% of body weight). If you lose more than 2 liters of blood, the risk to life is high.

With a significant lack of blood, the work of the heart slows down, pressure drops. The brain, not getting the oxygen it needs, stops working and dies.

Interestingly, in mammals, the ratio of blood to body weight is also 8%.

6. Height and depth.

When diving to a depth of more than 18 meters without special equipment, eardrums can burst, lungs can be damaged, and there is also a risk of loss of consciousness. At the same time, when you rise to a height of more than 4.5 thousand meters above sea level, the body ceases to receive the necessary normal functioning oxygen. Under such conditions, pulmonary and cerebral edema can develop within a few hours, leading to death.

7. Lack of water.

Without water, the human body can exist for 7-10 days. Lack of water leads to thickening of the blood, which makes it difficult for it to move through the vessels and increases the workload on the heart.

Water is needed in all spheres of life of the body. With a lack of 5 liters of water, dizziness and fainting appear, 10 liters - convulsions, a deficit of 15 liters leads to death.

The human body is very delicate. Without additional protection, it can only function in a narrow temperature range and at a certain pressure. It must constantly receive water and nutrients. It will not survive a fall from more than a few meters. How much can the human body withstand? When our body is threatened with death?

1. Body temperature.

Limits of survival: body temperature can vary from + 20 ° C to + 41 ° C.

Conclusions: usually our temperature ranges from 35.8 to 37.3 ° C. This temperature regime of the body ensures the smooth functioning of all organs. Temperatures above 41°C cause significant fluid loss, dehydration and organ damage. At temperatures below 20 ° C, blood flow stops.

The human body temperature is different from the ambient temperature. A person can live in an environment at a temperature of -40 to +60 ° C. It is interesting that a decrease in temperature is just as dangerous as its increase. At a temperature of 35 C, our motor functions begin to deteriorate, at 33 ° C we begin to lose orientation, and at a temperature of 30 ° C we lose consciousness. A body temperature of 20°C is the limit below which the heart stops beating and the person dies. However, medicine knows the case when it was possible to save a man whose body temperature was only 13 ° C. (Photo: David Martín / flickr.com).

2. The efficiency of the heart.

Limits of survival: from 40 to 226 beats per minute.

Conclusions: a low heart rate leads to a decrease in blood pressure and loss of consciousness; too high a heart rate leads to a heart attack and death.

3. Overloading the brain with information.

Limits of survival: each person is individual.

Conclusions: information overload leads to the fact that the human brain falls into a state of depression and ceases to function properly. The person is confused, begins to carry nonsense, sometimes loses consciousness, and after the symptoms disappear, he does not remember anything. Prolonged overload of the brain can lead to mental illness.

On average, the human brain can store as much information as 20,000 average dictionaries contain. However, even such an efficient organ can overheat due to an excess of information.

Interestingly, the shock resulting from extreme irritation of the nervous system can lead to a state of stupor (stupor), while the person loses control of himself: he can suddenly go out, become aggressive, talk nonsense and behave unpredictably.

Did you know that the total length of nerve fibers in the brain is between 150,000 and 180,000 km? (Photo: Zombola Photography/flickr.com).

4. Noise level.

Survival limits: 190 decibels.

5. The amount of blood in the body.

Limits of survival: loss of 3 liters of blood, that is, 40-50 percent of the total in the body.

6. Height and depth.

Survival limits: from -18 to 4500 m above sea level.

Conclusions: if a person without training, who does not know the rules, and also without special equipment dives to a depth of more than 18 meters, he is at risk of rupture of the eardrums, damage to the lungs and nose, too high pressure in other organs, loss of consciousness and death from drowning. Whereas at an altitude of more than 4500 meters above sea level, a lack of oxygen in the inhaled air for 6-12 hours can lead to swelling of the lungs and brain. If a person cannot descend to a lower altitude, he will die.

7. Lack of water.

Survival limits: 7-10 days.

8. Hunger.

Survival limits: 60 days.

Did you know that the American Amerykanin Charles R. McNabb, who in 2004 starved in prison for 123 days, remained the longest and survived? He drank only water and sometimes a cup of coffee.

Do you know that about 25,000 people die of hunger every day in the world? (Photo: Ruben Chase/flickr.com).