This is really common - if you donate a body to science it goes where it's needed. The entire body isn't needed for research in one place so the remains can be parted out as needed.
I highly recommend the book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - it talks about the options out there for our bodies after we die, and manages to be light-hearted but respectful at the same time. It's really one of my favorite books
by SoManyDegus 2019-11-17
There's a really great book by science writer Mary Roach called Stiff that talks about all the things you can "leave" your body to after you die, and exactly what those processes entail. Body farms, medical/scientific donation, composting, plastination (the process used to prep bodies for the Body Worlds exhibits) are all covered. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember something about a fair number of cadaver heads being used for plastic surgeons to practice face lifts on, while a lot of legs are subjected to explosives for research on treating war wounds. I was surprised because the typical picture we have in our heads of donated bodies is a bunch of beginning medical students gathered 'round in anatomy lab, but apparently that's just one of many possibilities. Highly recommended* read for my fellow crime buffs, even for those (like me) who are usually squeamish about body details.
*I highly recommend all of Roach's books; Gulp is also a great read.
by NotMilitaryAI 2019-11-17
I highly recommend the book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Really interesting look into the all the interesting stuff that can happen to your body after death - from typical mortuary stuff like this to organ donation to scientific research.
It's a really good read.
by scarhill 2017-12-25
There's a chapter on this in Mary Roach's book Stiff[1]. The book was published in 2003, so this has been going on for a long time.
Someone once told me that the parts left over after med school assignments sometimes end up in art projects. Is this true?
Asking because I'm 1,000,000% donating my body if I get to be science AND art.
Also: Stiff by Mary Roach made me want to donate myself to the body farm.
https://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Curious-Lives-Human-Cadavers/dp/0393324826
This is really common - if you donate a body to science it goes where it's needed. The entire body isn't needed for research in one place so the remains can be parted out as needed.
I highly recommend the book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - it talks about the options out there for our bodies after we die, and manages to be light-hearted but respectful at the same time. It's really one of my favorite books
There's a really great book by science writer Mary Roach called Stiff that talks about all the things you can "leave" your body to after you die, and exactly what those processes entail. Body farms, medical/scientific donation, composting, plastination (the process used to prep bodies for the Body Worlds exhibits) are all covered. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember something about a fair number of cadaver heads being used for plastic surgeons to practice face lifts on, while a lot of legs are subjected to explosives for research on treating war wounds. I was surprised because the typical picture we have in our heads of donated bodies is a bunch of beginning medical students gathered 'round in anatomy lab, but apparently that's just one of many possibilities. Highly recommended* read for my fellow crime buffs, even for those (like me) who are usually squeamish about body details.
*I highly recommend all of Roach's books; Gulp is also a great read.
I highly recommend the book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Really interesting look into the all the interesting stuff that can happen to your body after death - from typical mortuary stuff like this to organ donation to scientific research.
It's a really good read.
1 - https://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Curious-Lives-Human-Cadavers/dp...