Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!labrea!sri-unix!garth!smryan From: smryan@garth.UUCP (Steven Ryan) Newsgroups: sci.bio Subject: Not a possibly stupid question Message-ID: <2128@garth.UUCP> Date: 6 Dec 88 05:59:37 GMT References: <11098@udenva.cair.du.edu> Reply-To: smryan@garth.UUCP (Steven Ryan) Organization: INTERGRAPH (APD) -- Palo Alto, CA Lines: 21 >What does it mean, physiologically, when your arm or leg "falls >asleep"? Is it a "pinched" nerve, constricted blood circulation, >and/or something else? Some artery is pinched closed and so no oxygen reaches the neurons and they stop transmitting signals, hence the numbness. If blood flow is not restored, the neurons will die. Don't worry about that, though, unless you get drunk alot. You'll be waken out even the deepest sleep unless drugs interfere. A pinched nerve is something completely different. And very painful. >Sorry to litter the net with such drivel, but I've just got to know. The only stupid question is the one never asked. -- +---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Multi-culturalism -- just an excuse | When are we going to see | | to keep the minorities satisfied. | Anglo-saxon cultural events. | +---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+