Question: What would happen if we lost oxygen for 10 minutes? Francis St CBS Dublin

Sive Finlay answered on 13 Nov 2013:

You probably wouldn’t survive or, if you did, your body would most likely not function properly afterwards.
Our cells are constantly making and using energy to carry out all the necessary functions that keep us alive. We need oxygen because we combine it with molecules from our food to make energy molecules called ATP. Carbon dioxide is one of the waste products produced when we make energy and it’s toxic when it’s at high concentrations so that’s what we breathe out. Most people can only hold their breath for less than a minute because the carbon dioxide that builds up in our blood stream triggers a reflex response in the brain that forces us to breathe. Some people, such as free divers, can train themselves to delay this reflex and hold their breath for longer.
If we were deprived of oxygen for 10 minutes then most if not all of our brain cells would die because they can’t produce new energy. You might be able to survive afterwards but your body probably wouldn’t be able to work properly because your brain wouldn’t be able to control the rest of your body.