Is it true that in rare cases a person can live without their cerebelum?
406560
Absolutely!\nThere is a thing called Dandy-Walker Malformation in which people are born missing the vast majority of their cerebellum.  Some of these people are uncoordinated and it is obvious something is 'off.'  However, a subset of these people are PERFECTLY FINE...and won't realize they are missing their cerebellum unless they have an MRI or CT scan for another reason (car accident etc.) and the doc reports, 'btw, did you know your cerebellum is missing?'
205368
I think it is not possible. This can be proven by what the body needs to achieve 'standing up':\n\nThe first thing is that it requires muscle tone and balance, which is controlled by the brain. \n\nStanding up also depends on the muscle fibers, of course.If the myocytes are dead, then it is not even possible for someone alive to stand since the muscles will not respond to the signals sent by the brain.\n\nMuscle tone requires energy. Thus the circulatory system and (hence) the respiratory system must also be intact. However, these 2 systems require control from the brain as well. \n\nFrom these you can see that this simple action requires the coordination of several systems: the nervous system, respiratory system and circulatory system. Sadly, when a person dies, one or more of the abovementioned systems must be damaged. Hence it is not possible to stand when already dead.
730268
No, what if that person's organs die before they are removed? What if the organ's are not compatible? then the suicide would be useless. \n\nDepending on what is needed, sometimes a person can donate while they remain alive.\n\nDonating is a great virtue, but all within it's own time, suicide affects many people and may even affect the person waiting on a transplant
177193
Becoming deaf and blind is a fearful concept to me. Loosing both of those senses would be very difficult to overcome.
148802
If you are a person who does not require the same things as all other earthly humans, than maybe, if you do require water, oxygen, ect. then, no.
330918
CAIRO - An Egyptian baby who underwent a 13-hour operation to remove an extra head will soon be able to breathe on her own, a doctor treating her said on Tuesday.\n\nTen-month-old Manar Maged was suffering from one of the rarest birth defects -- craniopagus parasiticus -- a problem related to that of conjoined twins linked at the skull.\n\nThe head that was removed from Manar in the operation which ended early on Saturday had developed no body, and was capable of smiling and blinking, but not independent life.\nStory continues below ↓ advertisement\n\nNo signs of paralysis\nDoctors have already said that Manar could move all her limbs and showed no signs of paralysis after the operation in a children’s hospital in Benha, near Cairo.\n\n“At the moment only about 15 percent of her breathing is through the ventilator and in about 48 hours we will switch the ventilator off,” Abla el-Alfy, a consultant in paediatric intensive care, told Reuters.\n\nAlfy, part of the team of 13 Egyptian doctors who carried out the operation, said it was too early to say whether Manar could have suffered brain damage.\n\n“In four days or less we will do a ... scan of her brain to see what the situation is,” Alfy said.\n\nCraniopagus parasiticus occurs when an embryo begins to split into identical twins but fails to complete the process. One of the conjoined twins fails to develop fully in the womb.\n\nProfessor Lewis Spitz, a leading expert on conjoined twins at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London said the vital question for Manar was whether brain tissue and blood vessels were shared between the two heads.\n\nHe said it was critical that the blood flow away from the surviving twin was not interfered with during separation.\n\nSpitz did not know how many cases of craniopagus parasiticus have occurred or the number of attempted separations. He said the fact Manar survived is a big achievement in itself.\n\n“It must be quite rare. In about 2 percent of conjoined twins the heads are fused,” he said, adding that an incomplete conjoined twin joined at the head is even rarer.\n\nHe said the incidence of live born conjoined twins is about one in 200,000.\nCopyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
168754
none exept for a brain surgion or the military surgion
133127
I think this type of situation is extremely rare.  It is unlikely that a situation in which one twin was dependent upon the other would not be medically dangerous for the stronger twin.  It is not uncommon for conjoined twins to share organs, and it is often the case that separation would allow the survival of one and not the other, but in the situation you described it is unlikely that the twins would survive to adulthood.\n\nThat said, I don't think its realistic to attempt to give conjoined twins the right to privacy from each other.  Given that the decision of separation would effect both their bodies, I don't think it could be made unilaterally by one of the twins.  I think the surgery would require mutual concent.  And if the weaker twin consented, it becomes an issue of assisting suicide.
132001
Assuming you're talking about a human being; but should be applicable to all animals containing such organs:\n\nFor existence in general; the heart, as the body can 'live' without a functioning brain or liver for a while.\n\nThen the liver, since eventually the body would poison itself.\n\nThen the brain.\n\nHowever, if you're talking about complete 'removal', you need to define the brain. Are you speaking of the cerebral cortex alone or the whole thing? In the latter case, the heart and brain are equivelent since the lower brain stem controls heart rate (as well as other vital; functions,) and without either, neither would function and the body would die within minutes.
445302
no. as soon as the brain is cut off from the body. the body would not walk.
38807
There was never a requirement for the mentally impaired to be in the military service.\n\nThis brings to mind a favorite quote: 'ENGLISH, mother****er, do you speak it!"
278849
Yes. They have special accommodations for the physically challenged. (however temporary)
410826
no its impossible because your belly button is a mark left after the umblical cord is cut,the umblical cord facilitates the movement of food molecules from the mother to the unborn child and waste materials from the unborn child to the mother,so for a person to be without one means they did not feed and its not possible
517399
This depends on the cause of mutism.\n\nIf the person is mute because of a congenital hearing loss they may be able to be taught to speak.  This is mainly through learning to id what sounds they are making through vibration sense.\n\nIf the person is mute because they have damage to their laryngeal nerves then the person will not be able to speak verbally.  Of course sign language, written expression, etc can still be taught.\n--\n(edit) A person could also be mute through psychological problems where they choose not to speak.  In this case they know how to - but choose not to.\n\nFinally a person may experience neurological problems in several areas of the brain such as Broca's area that may preclude speech.  In this case they would not be able to speak.  \n\nThe final point I would add is whether the person cognitively can learn to speak.  A person without the capacity to learn, in a vegetative state or comatose clearly will not be speaking.\n\nHope that helps!
1049855
actually, no. this has never happened to me, I actually died after I was born and revived, so not all my brain cells are functioning, that's probably why I am lefthanded too
402024
It can be. Morbid obesity can leave a person unable to walk or move without assistance. Now, I'm not talking about being a little chubby, I'm talking about cases where a person grew so fat that their muscles can't support their weight. In those cases, it's a disability.
651989
I believe that it exists though I cannot say I have seen or experienced one myself.\n\nI would have to say though, that I believe that such miracles are generally NOT associated with people who are literally on their death beds with their doctors saying they will die very shortly.  They generally are not associated with people who are brain-dead or dependent on respirators/ventilators for survival.\n\nToo often it is the case that families insist on maintaining such heroic efforts to keep patients "alive" in the name of holding out for a "miracle".  I have seen this countless numbers of times, and as I have said before, I have NEVER seen such a "miracle" take place.  If everything was free and our resources were endless, then that is fine, but unfortunately this sort of practice costs American society (presuming you are American) MILLIONS of healthcare dollars a year, which is causing a huge strain on our economy.\n\nAgain, I do not doubt that they can occur (both miracles in the strict sense or the word, or whether mind over matter or other methods as previous posters have alluded to) but they are extremely rare.