What is Brain death?
'''Brain death''' means that the [[brain]] has stopped working. Brain death is permanent, and cannot be cured or reversed. No [[treatment]] can help when a person is '''brain dead''', there is no activity in any part of their brain. Every part of the brain is dead; no oxygen flows to the brain, and there is no electrical activity in any part of the brain. The brain controls everything we need to do to stay alive. For example, it controls [[breathing]], body [[temperature]], [[heart rate]], and many other important things. When a person is brain dead, their brain cannot control any of these things. A brain-dead person cannot breathe on their own. They will never be able to wake up or be aware of what is going on around them.<ref name=merck>{{cite web |url=http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/coma-and-impaired-consciousness/brain-death |title=Brain Death |last1=Maiese |first1=Kenneth |date=2015 |website=Merck Manual |publisher=Merck & Co., Inc. |access-date=February 11, 2016 }}</ref> Sometimes, brain-dead people are kept alive with special machines and [[medication]]s. For example, [[medical doctor|doctor]]s can put a tube down a person's throat and use a [[machine]] called a [[ventilator]] to pump [[oxygen]] into their [[lung]]s. While these machines can keep the person's other [[organ (anatomy)|organs]] alive for a while, they cannot help the brain get better.<ref name=aan>{{cite web |url=https://www.aan.com/guidelines/home/getguidelinecontent/435 |title=Determining Brain Death in Adults |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2010 |website=AAN.com |publisher=American Association of Neurology |access-date=February 11, 2016 }}</ref> Eventually, the person's other organs will stop working too.<ref name=merck/> ==Diagnosis== [[Image:Eye dilate.gif|thumb|right|The brain is supposed to make the pupils change size in response to light. If the pupils do not do this, it is a sign that the brain is not working correctly.]] [[Medical doctor|Doctors]] can [[medical diagnosis|