Somatic death is death that deals with the irreversible cessation of the vital functions of the brain, heart, and lungs.
Somatic death is also death that is characterized by the discontinuance of cardiac activity and respiration, and eventually leads to the death of all body cells from lack of oxygen, although for approximately six minutes after somatic death—a period referred to as clinical death.
The key difference between somatic death and molecular death is that the somatic death (also known as clinical death) refers to the complete and irreversible cessation of the function of the brain followed by the cessation of the function of the heart and the lungs while molecular death (also known as cell death).
While a person in a coma is unconscious, parts of their brain are still functioning, and there is a possibility that their condition may improve.
Patients who are brain dead, however, are considered to have a complete loss of brain function, and there is no way to overturn this – yet.
The reversible phase of somatic death.
Occurs when respiration and heartbeat are not established.
The period in the agonal process where simple life processes of various organs and tissues of the body begin to cease.
Refers to physiologic, or natural, death of cells as they complete their life cycles.
The clinical death is the medical term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing, the two necessary criteria to sustain life.
Brain death, either of the whole brain or the brain stem, is used as a legal indicator of death in many jurisdictions.