What results from a lack of breathing that can lead to brain damage?

Brain damage resulting from a lack of breathing is best described as biological death. This term refers to the cessation of the vital processes that sustain life at the cellular level, particularly brain cells. When breathing stops, the brain is deprived of oxygen, which is critical for its functionality. After just a few minutes without oxygen, irreversible damage can occur to brain cells, leading to the potential for permanent brain injury or death.

Clinical death is often defined as the moment when the heart stops beating and breathing ceases, but it is sometimes reversible if initiated promptly. Somatic death refers to the complete and irreversible cessation of all bodily functions and life processes, occurring after biological death. Instant death implies an immediate stop to all biological functions, but may not specifically convey the gradual process of brain cell damage due to a lack of oxygen. Therefore, biological death most accurately captures the process by which a lack of breathing leads to brain damage.