Use of Plastinated Human Cadavers
in Anatomy & Physiology
Department of Biology, Glendale Community College
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Human plastinate, Bodies Exhibition, Quebec, CA
What is a human plastinate?
• A human plastinate is a cadaver
that has been preserved with a
dry, odorless plastic polymer
• Method developed by Gunther
von Hagen (German anatomist)
• Can study real human anatomy
without the drawbacks of
conventional formaldehydepreserved specimens
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Disadvantages of Traditional Methods
• Odor
• Cost
• Lack of student
participation
• Need elaborate facility
with ventilation
William and Mary Sports Medicine
Program Anatomy Lab
Pennsylvania College of
Technology Physician’s
Assistant Program
Anatomy Lab
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Advantages of Plastinates
• Lack of odor
• More student participation
• Last indefinitely (so low cost)
• Using real specimens is motivational students find real specimens
inherently more interesting than
plastic models.
• Using real specimens shows natural
variation – models represent an
average and collections of models are
identical, but real specimens
demonstrate the significant variation
seen among individuals.
Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg
Germany
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Plastinated specimens can be
used for teaching students about
human organs and organ
systems.
Even minute details and textures
are preserved as in the delicately
folded lining of the intestines.
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Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg Germany
The New GCC Life Science Building
The Anatomy & Physiology
labs were designed for the
use of plastinated specimens.
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The Plastination Process
http://www.koerperspende.de/en/plastination/
• Tissue preservation technique
invented by Gunter von Hagen in
1985:
1. Remove water and fatty tissues with
a series of solvents
2. Remove solvents under vacuum
and replace with a liquid plastic
3. Cure plastic with a catalyst
4. Specimen will be flexible if silicone
is used, or hard if an expoxy or
polyester resin is used
• Specimens are dry, odorless and
last indefinitely
• Can be handled and stored like a
plastic model
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Sources of Plastinated Specimens
• The UofA Plastination Laboratory is a high quality facility that produces
plastinated human specimens for users inside and outside the University.
• Equipped to do both standard silicone impregnation and epoxy sheet
plastination.
• The Body Donor Program can provide specimens for users to dissect and
return to the laboratory for finishing if they cannot produce find their own
specimens.
• Administered by Joshua Lopez, LFP
Plastination Laboratory
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
University of Arizona
College of Medicine
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Corcoran Laboratories, located in Traverse City, Michigan has
worked with the University of Michigan to make plastinated
cadaver specimens available to colleges and universities.
Plastination Laboratory
Office of Medical Education
University of Michigan
Medical School
The UM Plastination Laboratory is a cost-for-service unit that
produces human plastinate specimens for users inside and
outside the University; Administered by Dr. Ameed Raoof 9
The collection of plastinates in the Biology
Department at GCC currently includes a torso,
upper and lower limbs, hearts, brains, knees,
intestines, liver, pancreas, kidneys, tongue
and larynx.
The following photos of GCC plastinates were taken
by Dr. Rob Bowker
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Torso
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Upper Limbs
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Lower Limbs
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Human Hearts
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Human Brain,
Sagittal Section
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Knee
Joints
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Intestine
(ileocecal junction
with appendix)
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Kidney,
Coronal
Section
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Tongue, Epiglottis and Vocal Cords,
Sagittal Section
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