Your brain is hungry. It's your body's single largest consumer of oxygen. Although your brain represents only about 2% of your body's weight, it utilizes about 20% of your body's blood. Brain cells are particularly vulnerable to a decrease of oxygen supply to the brain (termed hypoxia). Normally, brain cells don't come into contact with the blood. They are isolated by a layer of cells called the blood-brain barrier. If they don't get the oxygen or nutrients they require, or if they come into contact with blood, brain cells start to die in minutes. That's exactly what happens when someone has a stroke. When an artery to the brain becomes blocked or ruptures, the affected areas of brain tissue become damaged or die.

More on this topic

What Is Stroke? (VIDEO)
Your Brain Needs Oxygen
Clogged Carotids
Degree of Blockage
Types of Stroke
Risk Factors
Symptoms, Test & Diagnosis
Treating Stroke
Life After Stroke

Related Health Centers:

Aneurysm and Stent, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Cardiovascular Continuum, Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis, Coronary Bypass Surgery, Heart Attack and Angina, Hypertension, Stroke, Thrombosis and Embolism, Women and Cardiovascular Health