[paul.fr]

Can you still donate your body to science, and are there any "bits" they don't want?

[Karen W.]

I suspect if they do, they won't want diseased organs and such as I understand it!

[daveshorts]

You can definitely still donate your body for the training of medical students, which I think is why 'science' needed so many corpses.

I guess what science proper really needs is tissue samples of the interesting bits. Unfortunately with all the recent paranoia about keeping tissue samples it is happening a lot less than it used to, and some doctors are worried that we would not have the information to trace back new diseases.

[Karen W.]

So Dave when you donate then do they really even use diseased tissue, my guess would as you can see have been no. As you make me think yes they could to learn more about diseases. I never thought like that. I suppose I was really thinking in the line of reused parts that would be healthy enough to reuse..Would certain diseases prevent the possibility of reuse because of the effect the disease may have had on the entire body! (such as HIV) which I guess is the original Question paul had..!(sorry)

[DrDick]

Just watch out for the fine print.  You don't want to sign up for live organ donation (have you seen "Meaning of Life"?).   []

Dick

[daveshorts]

I think that leaving your body to science is different fro mbeing an organ doner. If you are an organ doner they want all the organs you give to be as healthy as possible, so you want them from people as young as possible - hence why various people call motorcylists 'organ doners' - road accidents are a good source.

If you are donating your body to medical science - training doctors - they are less fussy although it is nice if the bodies are not too diseased.

For medical research I guess it depends on the research - if you have a particularly interesting disease they would probably want to study whichever the appropriate bits are.

[Karen W.]

Just watch out for the fine print.  You don't want to sign up for live organ donation (have you seen "Meaning of Life"?).   []

Dick

No, I have not seen it, I don't think!

[Karen W.]

I think that leaving your body to science is different from being an organ doner. If you are an organ doner they want all the organs you give to be as healthy as possible, so you want them from people as young as possible - hence why various people call motorcylists 'organ doners' - road accidents are a good source.

If you are donating your body to medical science - training doctors - they are less fussy although it is nice if the bodies are not too diseased.

For medical research I guess it depends on the research - if you have a particularly interesting disease they would probably want to study whichever the appropriate bits are.

Thats what I realized after your post.. I had been thinking transplants instead of study! LOL Thanks Dave and Dr.

[DrDick]

Just watch out for the fine print.  You don't want to sign up for live organ donation (have you seen "Meaning of Life"?).   []

Dick

No, I have not seen it, I don't think!

It's a Monty Python movie.  Great stuff!

[Karen W.]

Oh my Gosh I should have remembered that ..LOL Surely I have seen it just don't remember! LOL I'll check it out again.. I have seen tons of Monty Python movies!

[elegantlywasted]

When my mother worked at a university hospital there were alot of people who "donated" their bodies. When the donor coded a call was placed to a prof and within minutes there would be a variety of students armed with scalpels waiting for the death to be called. As soon as it was the began to dissect various tissues to see how the begin to break down right after death. From what my mother has told me it was very interesting to see.

[Karen W.]

That sounds kinda , well morbid.. but I know that is how people learn..

[Mark12375]

I have been Looking for this, It has been Helpful. Keep Sharing this.

[alancalverd]

Early dissection may be important for clinical pathologists and harvesting organs for transplant, but most of the corpses I have seen were well pickled and used to teach surgical technique.

[Tsm3696Monkey]

I want to do that, but I don't know how