BODY WORLDS aims to educate the public about the inner workings of the human body and show the effects of poor health, good health and lifestyle choices. It is also presented in the hopes that it will stimulate curiosity about the science of anatomy.
Real human bodies show the details of disease and anatomy that cannot be shown with models. They also allow us to understand how each body has its own unique features, even on the inside. One of the special features of this exhibition is that it offers people a chance to see the real thing in a safe and informative environment.
The specimens on view in BODY WORLDS are examples of the technique called Plastination. Invented by a scientist and anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens in 1977, Plastination is the groundbreaking method of halting decomposition and preserving anatomical specimens for scientific and medical education. All of the full-body plastinates and the majority of the specimens are from body donor who bequeathed that, upon their death, their bodies could be used for educational purposes in the exhibitions; some specific specimens that show unusual conditions come from old anatomical collections and morphological institutes.
Knowledge about what the human body looks like and how it functions is basic life science information that should be available to everyone. Join the nearly 25 million people throughout the world who have seen the BODY WORLDS exhibitions, and have gained this knowledge first-hand.
