Animals Inside out in Seville

On a previous post from a few years ago I described the Bodyworks exhibition I attended in Newcastle at the Science Museum. The exhibition displayed human bodies and parts of which have been preserved and Plastinated which is a process invested by Gunther von Hagens whom I am a big fan of. Gunther von Hagens is a German anatomist who invented this technique for preserving biological tissue specimens and controversially displaying them to the public. The process is done as follows… 1. Embalming and Anatomical Dissection The first step of the process involves halting decay by pumping formalin into the body through the arteries. Formalin kills all bacteria and chemically stops the decay of tissue. Using dissection tools, the skin, fatty and connective tissues are removed in order to prepare the individual anatomical structures.  2. Removal of Body Fat and Water  In the first step, the body water and soluble fats are dissolved from the body by placing it into a solvent bath (e.g., an acetone bath).  3. Forced Impregnation  This second exchange process is the central step in Plastination. During forced impregnation a reactive polymer, e.g., silicone rubber, replaces the acetone. To achieve this, the specimen is immersed in a polymer solution and placed in vacuum chamber. The vacuum removes the acetone from the specimen and helps the polymer to penetrate every last cell.  4. Positioning  After vacuum impregnation, the body is positioned as desired. Every single anatomical structure is properly aligned and fixed with the help of wires, needles, clamps, and foam blocks.  5. Curing (Hardening)  In the final step, the specimen is hardened. Depending on the polymer used, this is done with gas, light, or heat. Dissection and Plastination of an entire body requires about 1,500 working hours and normally takes about one year to complete. To see human bodies exhibited in this fashion may seem a little gruesome and morbid but it’s very educational and feeds our thirst for knowledge of what is under our skin. This process of course is not limited to humans…..it can also be done with the bodies of dead animals and last month I attended his “animals inside out” exhibition in the beautiful city of Seville and also had the chance to take some photos of the displays as I was the only one that the time in attendance.

Here I have attached some photos I took from this amazing exhibition……