Body Worlds

Body Worlds (German: Körperwelten) is a traveling exposition of dissected human bodies, animals, and other anatomical structures of the body that have been preserved through the process of plastination. Body Worlds was first presented in Tokyo in 1995.

History

Body Worlds was conceived by Gunther von Hagens, a German anatomist who invented the technique of plastination in 1977 while working at the University of Heidelberg. Von Hagens' plastination process involves the replacement of water and fats in the body tissues with certain plastics, allowing the preservation of bodies or body parts and their display in anatomical positions.

Exhibits

The Body Worlds exhibition includes whole-body plastinates, individual organs, organ systems, and transparent body slices. Some of the whole-body plastinates are posed in athletic positions, while others are arranged in poses that illustrate certain bodily systems. The exhibition also includes thematic rooms dedicated to specific systems or parts of the body, such as the nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and digestive system.

Controversies

Body Worlds has been the subject of ethical and legal controversies. Some critics argue that the display of dissected corpses is disrespectful to the dead, while others question the origins of the bodies used in the exhibits. Von Hagens has maintained that all of the bodies used in the exhibition came from donors who gave their informed consent to be used in this way.

Impact

Despite the controversies, Body Worlds has been seen by millions of people worldwide and has contributed significantly to the public's understanding of the human body. The exhibition has also inspired a number of similar exhibits, such as Bodies... The Exhibition and Our Body: The Universe Within.

See also

• Plastination
• Gunther von Hagens
• Anatomy
• Medical education