The blog entry of today might seem a bit esoteric dealing with the question whether there is scientific evidence for a life after death. According to recent findings in the field of genomics there is – at least a kind of. Researchers reported that some genes become actively switched on after an organism deceased, the so-called thanatotranscriptome. In their study, researchsers investigated active gene transcription in mice and fish after a postmortem period of 6 minutes up to 4 days.
Firstly, they found that beeing dead is quite stressful. Rest in piece – as if! Many genes of the stress response and cellular transport are triggered in order to fight the progressing biochemical mess and the loss of control over the putrescent body. A quite hopeless waste of remaining energy…
Secondly, being dead is similar to being ill. I guess, all the males will now feel confirmed with their I-have-a-flu-I’m-dying attitude. Genes involved in the immune and inflammatory response become switched on after death inducing a fight against proliferating bacteria and progressing cellular damage. Thridly, death induces death. How logical science is, right? Apoptotic mechanisms are kicked off in order to eliminate cells which are not viable anymore. Spoiler alert: that will be quite some!
So far, all of the above findings have been relatively predicatable. But another observation of this study was less straight forward to believe: Death induces life. At least in a broader sense. Some developmental genes, which are usually highly controled and most carefully orchestrated during embryogenesis, become switched on after death. These genes are involved in the formation of certain structures within the developing embryo and it is unclear why they become reactivated after having been silenced meticulously. The autors of the article ascripted this to the biochemical mess, which could be similar in development and decay.
How do these findings influence our perception of life and death? There is a rational point of view: biological processes go on automatically until cells are running out of energy and the battery is empty. Gene transcription is epigentically controled by biochemical stimuli of the environment and after death, cells just use the remaining energy and react on the surrounding disorganisation. By this, the body automatically fights the consequences of death. Coincidentally, these environmental changes resemble the embryonic milieu and developmental genes become switched on…
A more esoteric point of view – and I do not state that this is my personal opinion – could be that the deceased body is preparing for rebirth. Many cultures and religions believe in rebirth or in a life on another level, like heaven. I personally like these ideas because it has something consolatory and it changes the perception of death. Could the genetic fight against death and the reactivation of developmental genes mark a transitory phase between the ending life and the next, soon beginning life?
The lab animals used in this study did not die because of age or disease, their bodies still had a lot of “rest energy” when they were killed. It would be interesting to see if the thanaotranscriptome of naturally deceased organisms is different from that who were actively killed. This study is clearly under debate but as long as no one proves us wrong, we can feel free to interpret these results in the way we wish…
XOXO, your Nerd
