Plastination!
<div class="IPBDescription">It looks awesome!</div><img src="http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/A/anatomists/images/biggal5.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Plastination is a technique used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most microscopic properties of the original sample.
The technique was invented by Gunther von Hagens when working at the anatomical institute of the University of Heidelberg in 1978. Von Hagens has patented the technique in several countries and is heavily involved in its promotion, especially with his traveling exhibition Body Worlds showing plastinated human bodies all over the world. He also founded and directs the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg.
The first step of plastination is fixation. This simply means that the body is embalmed, usually in a formaldehyde solution, in order to halt decomposition. After any necessary dissections take place, the specimen is then placed in a bath of acetone. Under freezing conditions, the acetone draws out all the water and takes its place inside the cells. In the third step, the specimen can then be placed in a bath of liquid polymer, such as silicone rubber, polyester or epoxy resin. By creating a vacuum and lowering the pressure, the acetone is made to boil. As the acetone vaporizes and leaves the cells, it draws the liquid polymer in behind it, leaving a cell filled with liquid plastic. This is known as forced impregnation. The plastic must then be cured, either with gas, heat, or UV light, in order to harden it. A specimen can be anything from a full human body, to a small piece of an animal organ, and are known as either "plastins" or "plastinates".
<i>From Wikipedia</i>
Anyone seen this stuff in person? I can't wait till it comes to Seattle! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
For Scheduling check out Bodyworld's website at
<a href="http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html</a>
Plastination is a technique used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most microscopic properties of the original sample.
The technique was invented by Gunther von Hagens when working at the anatomical institute of the University of Heidelberg in 1978. Von Hagens has patented the technique in several countries and is heavily involved in its promotion, especially with his traveling exhibition Body Worlds showing plastinated human bodies all over the world. He also founded and directs the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg.
The first step of plastination is fixation. This simply means that the body is embalmed, usually in a formaldehyde solution, in order to halt decomposition. After any necessary dissections take place, the specimen is then placed in a bath of acetone. Under freezing conditions, the acetone draws out all the water and takes its place inside the cells. In the third step, the specimen can then be placed in a bath of liquid polymer, such as silicone rubber, polyester or epoxy resin. By creating a vacuum and lowering the pressure, the acetone is made to boil. As the acetone vaporizes and leaves the cells, it draws the liquid polymer in behind it, leaving a cell filled with liquid plastic. This is known as forced impregnation. The plastic must then be cured, either with gas, heat, or UV light, in order to harden it. A specimen can be anything from a full human body, to a small piece of an animal organ, and are known as either "plastins" or "plastinates".
<i>From Wikipedia</i>
Anyone seen this stuff in person? I can't wait till it comes to Seattle! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
For Scheduling check out Bodyworld's website at
<a href="http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html</a>
Comments
I highly reccomend that anyone go see it if it's near you. It's really really really really awesome.
It was okay, but not nearly as interesting as I had expected. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
I won't be impressed until they develop a way to recreate the agony of the victim's death, replaying it over and over and over and over for each tour group until satan himself begs us to stop.
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I'm thinking of donating my body on the assumption that my lifeless corpse can be swinging from a meathook.
I was thinking of hopping over from the island to see the Vancouver one, but I was too poor and lazy.
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Its still there until the 14th of January. You still have time.
Its still there until the 14th of January. You still have time.
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Yeah I dunno how their schedule works.
do the corpses have mittens?
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Oh, stop it Black_Mage. It's not fun anymore, never was.
;ontopic;
Looks cool, might want to travel to see this some time.