 Hi, I am Dr. Ravichan Siddhachari. I am a consultant hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgeon for Manipal Hospital Group, Bangalore. People have this concept that when the heart is beating the person is still alive. But I would like to say is that person whose brain is dead, the heart is still functioning because heart has an independent functioning. Because it has got its own pacemaker which continues to beat the heart as long as it is getting the oxygen. So once you take out the supportive treatment and take out the ventilator, the heart is going to stop at some point of time. Because it is supported, it is functioning. Once you take out the support, it is going to stop. So the person is dead mainly because he is brain dead.