How Long Can a Human Brain Go Without Oxygen?

Oxygen deprivation in the human brain can be fatal.

The human brain and the spinal cord are the two parts of the central nervous system. The brain, a grapefruit-sized part of your body, requires large amounts of oxygen to function at an optimal level.

Deprivation

The human brain can last only 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen before permanent damage occurs, according to California State University. In the event of a stroke or other event causing even short-term oxygen deprivation, prompt treatment is critical to prevent damage to the brain.

Composition

The brain is composed of approximately 100 billion nerve cells that control almost every activity in the body. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood throughout all the areas of the brain.

Fun Fact

The human brain uses 10 times the amount of oxygen as any other part of the body, according to the Franklin Institute. It uses 20 percent of the oxygen used by the entire body.

References

• The Franklin Institute: The Human Brain: Maintaining the Oxygen Balance in Your Brain
• California State University-Stanislaus: The Glutaminergic (and Neurotoxic) Cascade in Ischemia-Induced Stroke
• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center: Treatments/Programs

Resources

• NYU Langone Medical Center: Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy