Post Life Body Donation Essay Example

close family members due to the success of this operation. Over time, they determined who could donate and receive organs, leading to 200 thousand tissue transplants being performed in the United States alone by 1989 (Life Center). Donated human tissue, similar to organ donation, has various uses in surgical procedures to save lives and improve quality of life. Tissue donation can have numerous medical benefits, such as restoring severe burns, aiding in the healing and strengthening of torn ligaments or tendons for athletes, and restoring function and mobility for military personnel injured in combat.

Approximately thirty-nine thousand tissue donors annually contribute to tissue transplants, which reach approximately 1.75 million procedures each year. In 1993, a highly contentious research facility gained global attention when researchers from Heidelberg University in Germany utilized two hundred adult and child cadavers in a simulated series car crash test.

According to the engineers, only human cadavers can accurately demonstrate the effects of a crash, making them necessary for their research. They believe that using cadavers will help in creating safer cars and ultimately save lives. However, Germany's biggest car company, ADAC, challenged Heidelberg's research based on ethical considerations. Being challenged ethically means that Heidelberg's researchers have failed to uphold the principles of justice and goodness. Rudolf Hammerschmidt, a spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Church, expressed his opinion on the matter, stating that experiments on animals are already questioned and testings should be conducted on dummies rather than using deceased children since the dead still possess human dignity.

Wayne State University was the first institution to conduct tests on cadavers shortly after similar research was revealed in the United States. According to George Parker, the

associate administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this research is significant for understanding injury patterns and determining which body areas are affected in different crash scenarios (Ethics). It also helps evaluate the effectiveness of using dummies. Cadavers have other ethical applications, such as their use in medical practice. One widely used application is cadaver dissection (CD), which has been employed since 300 B.C. and is considered a valuable tool for studying the anatomical structure of the human body.

The study of cadavers gained acceptance in the fifteenth century and professionals and students both engaged in this practice by the sixteenth century. By the eighteenth century, it became an invaluable educational tool for medical students (Cadaver Dissection). Furthermore, certain cadavers are sent to surgical labs like Nebraska University's Department of Surgery where a dedicated cadaver lab allows students to enhance their skills and learn proper techniques before performing them on live patients in the operating room. These techniques may involve stitching, lancing, or removing organs such as the appendix and pancreas (Cadaver Lab). It is important to note that bodies donated for scientific purposes are not immediately placed in a classroom setting contrary to popular belief.

In reality, most of the donated cadavers will end up in the possession of body brokers, who engage in the unregulated market of selling human body parts, particularly those from the impoverished population. As a gesture of compensation, brokers usually cremate a portion of the acquired body and return it to the family. This offer of free cremation often appears highly appealing to families with limited resources and in desperate situations.

Body Brokers, also known as "Non-Transplant Tissue Banks," operate outside

of the highly regulated Organ and Tissue Transplantation Industry. While selling vital organs illegally can result in severe punishment such as life imprisonment or even death, there are no regulations governing the trading of the rest of the human body. This lack of oversight allows almost anyone, regardless of expertise, to dissect and sell human bodies. The minimal regulations in place mean that there are few consequences for body brokers who mistreat corpses. In one case, officials in southern Nevada found that the only action they could take against body brokers was to issue a citation for pollution. In addition to the lack of regulation, body brokers also profit greatly from their activities. According to Reuters, a complete torso with legs can be worth over $3500, a head can fetch up to $500, and a spine or foot can bring in around $300.

Full bodies with minor damage or problems can generate over ten thousand dollars per day. Body broking has become a business endeavor for some morticians. In Oklahoma, two funeral home proprietors have put six hundred and fifty thousand dollars into a start-up body broking company. Similarly, in Colorado, a family who runs a funeral home operates a business that dissects and sells bodies from the same establishment (Reuters). Perhaps the most distinctive method of donating one's body is by sending it on a tour to The Body World. The Body World features an exhibition of highly preserved human corpses.

The process starts with donating the body to the Institute of Plastination. Once the body is donated, it is embalmed in its original continent and then sent to Germany for the plastination process. This process

takes nearly a year to finish. Initially, technicians remove all the body's water and fat. Next, they fill the body with a silicone solution and place it in a desired position. Finally, the body is hardened using gas, heat, or light (CNN).

The exhibitions were created by Dr. Angelina Whalley and Dr. Gunther von Hughes with the primary goal of promoting preventative health care. Their purpose is to educate the public about the inner workings of the human body.

Some exhibits showcase the impact of an unhealthy lifestyle in comparison to a relatively healthy one, aiming to highlight both the vulnerability and anatomical elegance of the human body. Various organs, including hearts, lungs, nervous systems, digestive systems, and even transparent body slices, are displayed. The purpose is to raise self-awareness by demonstrating the long-term consequences of diseases and harmful addictions like tobacco and alcohol abuse. Through a comparison between seemingly healthy organs and those that have been affected, the exhibits allow viewers to observe the differences.

Body Worlds features a range of exhibits aimed at discouraging future smokers and emphasizing the significance of a healthy lifestyle. These displays include non-smoker and lifelong smoker lungs, as well as knee and hip replacements that spotlight their roles and objectives. Ultimately, donated bodies have varying destinations, with some being more prevalent than others.

Various donation programs and institutes aim to assist people in multiple ways, whether it is through immediate surgeries like heart transplants or by being showcased in museums. There are numerous ways to contribute to the well-being of individuals who are still alive. The progress of civilization depends on the efforts made by past individuals, and donating a body for

further research is a beneficial endeavor in the long run.

Works Cited

1. “How it All Started: The History of Donation.” LifeCenter, 30 Aug. 2017. Web. Accessed 14 Feb. 2019
2. “Organ and Tissue Donation.” Mason-Woodward Mortuary and Crematory, Web.

Accessed 14 Feb.

2019

• “How Organ Donation Works.” Organ Donor, Web. Accessed 17 Feb. 2019
• “Organ Donation Facts and Info| Organ Transplants.” Cleveland Clinic 13 Dec. 2017, Web. Accessed 15 Feb.

2019

2019

Accessed 16 Feb.

"Philosophy" The Body World and "Tissue Donation: Everything You Need to Know" Donate Life America are two web resources that were accessed on different dates: 14 Feb. 2019 and 18 Feb. 2019, respectively.