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SUMMARY:Life at the Limits - Human Physiology at Extreme High Altitude - D
 r Andrew Murray
DTSTART:20151124T181500Z
DTEND:20151124T191500Z
UID:TALK61466@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Andrew Carlotti
DESCRIPTION:The summit of Mount Everest\, standing 8848 m above sea level\
 , is one of the cruellest\, most unforgiving places on the surface of Plan
 et Earth\, and represents the ultimate mountaineering challenge. Violent s
 torms sweep across knife-edge ridges\, and a terrifying ascent of the shee
 r icy face of the Hillary Step stands between the climber and his goal. Ab
 ove 8000 m\, in the so-called Death Zone\, atmospheric pressure falls to p
 erilously low levels\, impeding oxygen delivery to the tissues of the body
 . Human beings have a remarkable ability to tolerate low oxygen conditions
 \, as most dramatically exemplified by the first oxygen-less ascent of Eve
 rest by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler in 1978\, and repeated by Messn
 er and others since. In this talk\, Dr Murray asks how the human body can 
 survive at such extreme altitudes and in particular\, why some individuals
  fare better than others in this environment. He asks if there are similar
 ities between the hypoxia experienced by the mountaineer and by patients i
 n intensive care units\, and if hypoxia tolerance determines survival in t
 he critically ill. He will also show recent findings from his own research
  with the Sherpas of Nepal - arguably the best adapted population of high-
 altitude dwelling humans in the world.
LOCATION:Winstanley Lecture Theatre
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