The San Diego Traveler

Bodies…The Exhibition

by Carole A. Lane on September 4th, 2007

In the current heat wave, some great places to stay cool are at the movies, the library, and the museums. Having done my fair share of the first two recently, I decided to spend yesterday at a museum.

San Diego county has a nearly endless variety of museums to choose from, but the first two exhibits that came to mind were the Dead Sea Scrolls and Bodies…The Exhibition. After a quick poll of my family members, we headed out to University Towne Center to see some dead bodies.

What an amazing experience! I’d seen pictures from the exhibit online, but there’s really nothing quite like being able to actually walk up to and look inside a human body, seeing organs, bones, muscles, nerve fibers, blood vessels.

Unless you’re in the medical field or perhaps forensics, I can’t imagine anyone seeing this exhibit without learning something new. For me, I was surprised at how tiny the bones in the ear are, just as as I was at how huge the liver is.

Each room in the museum contained interesting facts and remarkable specimens, whose images have now been burned into our memories. The only downside is that this is a very expensive museum tour:

It’s definitely worth getting the audio, making it even more costly. I do wish that there was a way to make it more accessible to the masses, especially students. 

Everyone who sees the exhibition has questions, so here are the most frequently asked, according to their press office:

Q: What health issues are highlighted in the exhibition?

A: BODIES… THE EXHIBITION allows people to learn about their own bodies and, ultimately, teaches them how to take better care of their health and make positive lifestyle choices. The exhibition enables them to see and understand the medical conditions friends and family members face in a whole new way – by highlighting pressing health concerns, including obesity, breast cancer, colon cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, ectopic pregnancy, arthritis, osteoporosis and bone fractures. The exhibition also highlights damage done to organs due to the perils of smoking and dietary excesses.

Q: What part of the anatomy is the hardest to preserve?

A: The brain is the most difficult organ to preserve due to the makeup of the brain, which is primarily composed of lipids (fat) and water. During the process of polymer preservation, the brain can shrink significantly during dehydration if one is not careful. To manage this problem, the brain is dehydrated in a cold acetone thus better maintaining its original size and shape.

Q: What do the polymer preserved bodies feel like?

A: The specimens feel dry to the touch and can be either rigid or flexible, depending on the mix of chemicals used. While guests will be able to get very close to the specimens, as a rule, guests are not allowed to touch them.

Q: Why use real human specimens instead of constructed models?

 A: As Dr. Ray Glover, chief medical director for BODIES … The Exhibition states, “Seeing promotes understanding, and understanding promotes the most practical kind of body education possible. The body doesn’t lie!” So, unlike models that idealize the body through the eyes of an artist, the specimens in this exhibition will show you the body and its parts as they really exist. Idealized models have been used for many years to teach about the body. However they don’t allow for any variation in structure and variation – which is one of the most important things to see how bodies are made up and different.

As medical students and individuals have less time for the study of anatomy, it is even more important to have these unique specimens to give them both a greater understanding of anatomy and some sense of the variation of the human organism.

Q: How long do the bodies last after polymer preservation?

A: The earliest specimens made in the late 1970s are still being used in medical schools around the world. They last indefinitely, just as if they were made entirely of the most indestructible material.

Q: How long does it take to dissect and permanently preserve each specimen?

A: The timing varies. A small organ can take one week to prepare while it can take up to one year to prepare a whole body.

Q: Will we know who the body specimens are? How did they die?

A: They died from natural causes. However, in a number of cases throughout the exhibition, our medical director has been able to identify the obvious medical problems that the specimen suffered from, and, where appropriate, it is so indicated. For example, a lung is displayed and the disease is identified as emphysema, so those who see it can gain a clearer understanding of this disease.

It is important to note that the law prohibits the disclosure of any information regarding the specimen’s identity and/or cause of death.

Q: Where do the specimens come from?

A: All of the bodies were obtained through the Dalian Medical University Plastination Laboratories in the People’s Republic of China. Asia possesses the largest and most highly competent group of dissectors in the world, and they are highly skilled in preparing the bodies for educational and scientific purposes.Currently, human specimens in medical schools in China, the United States and other countries throughout the world are donated or unidentified bodies.

Q: What is the appropriate age level for viewing the Exhibition?

A: The teaching of basic human anatomy and physiology are hallmarks in any child’s education. We recommend that children attend the exhibition with a teacher or parent as an adult guide. We feel strongly that the exhibition can offer a rare family experience: A golden opportunity to open a child’s eyes – and, in a way no textbook ever could, to teach them about the complexities of the human body and the necessity of proper nutrition, regular activity and the importance of healthy lifestyle choices, such as avoiding smoking and alcohol.

The exhibition will have a special children’s audio tour available, as well as four age-specific teacher’s guides from elementary to post-graduate levels.

Q: Who organized and designed BODIES… THE EXHIBITION?

A: BODIES… THE EXHIBITION is organized by Atlanta-based Premier Exhibitions Inc. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. is not affiliated with any other organizer of human anatomy exhibitions, including Gunther von Hagens, Gerhard Perner, or Genlife Biomedical. BODIES… THE EXHIBITION should not be confused with “Body Worlds,” “Body Exploration,” “The Universe Within,” “Bodies Revealed,” or any other human anatomy exhibition.

Bodies…The Exhibition will be in San Diego until November 11, 2007. Definitely make plans to see it while it’s here - if you can afford it!

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POSTED IN: Attractions