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3D-Printed Corpses
16 August 2014

3D-Printed Corpses

Teaching human anatomy to student doctors and budding biomedical scientists requires the dissection of human corpses. The problem is, dead bodies are not always readily available to teaching hospitals. In recent years dissection-based teaching has declined because of the costs and ethical problems involved with acquiring cadavers. There are also concerns about exposure to formaldehyde, a toxic compound used in embalming fluids. Now 3D printing offers an alternative: highly detailed colour models of human body parts based on data from computer tomography scans of real bodies. Researchers have debuted the fabrication technique by printing a polymer hand (pictured) featuring tendons, muscles, arteries, nerves, skin and bone. Such reproductions should be particularly useful in countries where religious beliefs mean bequest programs are banned.

Written by Daniel Cossins

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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