Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 2/5/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I would like to know what happens to the individual O2 molecules when a person dies - Do they just dissipate from the body or do they get used up and converted into other gases/broken down by the body. Where does the O2 GO ???   Im having a problem receiving my answers for now so could you please email me the answer at          Thankyou :)

ANSWER: An interesting question - best asked of a pathologist I suggest. My guess would be
When you die the cells in your body continue to metabolise whilst there are still substrates such as oxygen and glucose available. Thus some of the oxygen will be utilised. The rest is stuck in the tissues, in the blood stream and red blood cells etc. As the body cools some will form little bubbles.
Sorry can't help much
Dr Ian Jackson

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: let me ask you this...if there is any "Leftover" oxygen inside a living cell will it always metabolize it. And what exactly does metabolize mean = does that mean that the O2 turns into another substance by binding with  other molecules? I dont know if you know the answer to that one or not

Answer
Well again this is outside my sphere of anaesthetising people but from distant past of medical school books..

Cellular respiration is the series of reactions that make ATP (cellular energy) by completely breaking down glucose into inorganic molecules of carbon dioxide and water. There are several stages and include:

•glycolysis - occurs in the cytoplasm of cells
•synthesis of Acetyl-CoA
•Krebs cycle
•the electron transport chain - this occurs in the mitochondria

The oxygen finally become combined with hydrogen as water.

I suspect that metabolism in individual cells gradually slows down over a period as oxygen and glucose is used up in the cell.
Kind regards
Dr Ian Jackson