Bodies: The Exhibit

Dead bodies as entertainment. Not exactly a novel idea, but its something that has become pretty popular recently. You may have heard of it or, if the exhibit happens to be in a nearby city, perhaps you have had a chance to go and view Bodies: The Exhibit and/or Body Worlds. Basically, people have donated their bodies to be preserved by a process called plastination, whereby the body is filled with a plastic-based preservative. The effect is that the bones, muscles, and other tissues are are preserved almost completely. I'll leave alone the debate over whether or not an exhibit like this is ethical and why the general public finds corpses so captivating. However, when I went, I was surprised to see parents bringing their little kids along (less than 3 years old). I guess people like the opportunity to experience the mystery and intrigue surrounding anatomy class in medical school using cadavers.

As I mentioned before, the preservation methods are quite good. The exhibit is a mix of partially dissected bodies (showing an organ system) along with individual bones or organs in viewing cases for clarity. The complete bodies are positioned in some kind of active motion, like shooting a basketball or a runner in stride.

It was a cool prelude to actual anatomy class, which I'll get to experience next year. The up close view was a tease for someone like me. I will find it much more interesting in a hands-on environment (there were a number of times that I just wanted to pick something up and get a better look or know how it feels). The Nervous System section was a bit intimidating because I saw how fine and delicate the nerves are that permeate the body. Around your belly button, a number of nerves burst out of your spine and radiate outwards. I fully expect me and my fellow students to tear through a number of these while digging through muscle and fascia during dissection. I only hope we don't demolish too many of the ones we are supposed to identify! [Note: this is the reason why some med schools offer pro-sections, dissections done by a professional]
I was particularly interested in the examples of cancer. Their gross anatomy is highly reminiscent of the tumors I see in lab in our mice. I also liked the examples of developing fetuses with the different bone stains. You can really see how the bones (especially in the head and hands/feet) start out as separate entities and they grow together in place or can even fuse together. The developmental abnormalities, while tragic, were pretty cool to see (abdominal hernia and Siamese twins).
In all, I came away from the tour with even more anticipation for starting school. It was cool to know that while many people may get to see these preserved bodies, at some point I'll get to see things in real life, pulsing and breathing. If you get the chance, you should go.