Bodies - The Exhibition

During my little break in NY I find out that the famous (or infamous...) Bodies - The Exhibition is here and decided to go and check it out... After all it is something not to be missed if, like me, one is fascinated by the marvellous machine the human body is and especially if one is a med-student such as I!

I get in with a friend who doesn't belong to the medical environment. Luca is my friend Laura's husband, and he is just curious to see what is inside and maybe a bit apprehensive at the idea to be face to face with our innermost part, in the literal sense of the words.
This said, he follows me in... I'm delighted, it will be interesting to see the reactions of someone who hasn't been is such such close contact with bodies in this way, someone whose knowledge of anatomy is probably superficial compared to that of a med-student.

From a medical point of view I resolve to keep an eye on him just in case he feels a bit woozy looking at some of the stuff on show... After all not even I know what expects us inside.

The entrance is spacious, completely silent, and already from here before even seeing anything there is a sense of wonder... In a while we'll face our inner selves and that must count for some of the way I'm feeling now.
Bright lines projected on a wall welcome us and a sign explains that these images we'll find all the way through the exhibition are a representation of what the cells look like in different tissues of our body... very interesting... I imagined them to be quite different...

What follows are several areas where superbly preserved body parts and full size bodies are exposed. The skin and the fat covering the internal organs of these bodies have been dissected out and they are placed in different positions (eg. one of them is holding a basket ball and it seems ready to try a hoop) trying to emulate a movement chosen to highlight the particular function of a specific group of muscles.

I stand in awe in front of them... They have nothing to see with the cadavers we dissect at university and yet, they were once alive just as I am now...

I find out that the bodies of this exhibition have been prepared using a process called polymer preservation. In this process, tissue water is first removed by submersion in acetone. Then the acetone too, is removed in a vacuum chamber. During this step in the process, known as impregnation, the tissue space within the specimen, formerly filed with acetone, become filled instead with liquid silicone rubber. Lastly, during a step called curing, the silicone rubber is treated with a catalyst and hardened. The end product is a rubberised specimen that can be easily examined without any chance of deteriorating due to the natural decay.

I remember to ask Luca how he feels and what he thinks about the exhibition. He answers with an enthusiastic smile and a genuine interest in his voice when he answers: "I find everything fascinating!"
Fascinating is a word I love, that renders perfectly the idea of what the human body is, of what we know we are but that still can't be completely explained as we're a bit of a mystery and there is so much to learn.

I read the signs close to each specimen and add little bits here and there, things I think Luca may find interesting though I have to say that the exhibition is very well done and, even if someone doesn't have much of a clue about anatomy, everything is explained in that sort of detail that could benefit someone who isn't an expert helping to understand every body process in a substantial way but without ever being too specific, boring or difficult.

The exhibit is divided into body systems, every area deals with a specific aspect of our physiology, from the musculo-skeletal system and the support our bones and muscles provide, to the respiratory system and the importance of the lungs with a very interesting section showing the damage smoking does to the airways. Here I find out that a single cigarette shortens your life in average of 3 and half hours... Smoking kills, literally!

Luca is affected by the black lungs of a smoker in one of the displays and this makes me hope the specimen may help people understand the self-inflicted damage to their bodies...

One of the most impressive parts of the exhibition is the one concerning the cardio-vascular system. Here the shape of the body is defined by blood vessels that have been injected with chemical dyes (blue or red depending on whether they are arteries or veins) hardened and then all tissues around have been melted and flushed away so leaving only a very thick network of blood vessels, the result is simply breathtaking!

Even the part dedicated to the birth is outstanding with specimen of fetuses ranging from 4 weeks to complete delivery. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in our bodies, something went wrong and some of these specimen are a strong reminder of how volatile our human condition is... A sign at the entrance of the room warns visitors that if they prefer not to enter they can bypass this area by exiting through a side door. Luca and I decide to brave it... We get in and what welcomes us is an outstanding display of little ones whose bones and organs are just beginning to form, and even those less pleasant to look at anyway put into perspective the miracle we are.

So, once arrived at the end, what is the verdict?

This exhibition most probably affects people in different way according to their background and knowledge of our basic physiological processes and anatomy but in essence, according to my humble opinion, this is something that everyone should go and see.
Too many people abuse their bodies with too much alcohol, a wrong diet, too little exercise, drugs... These abuses carry with them serious consequences such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, some types of cancer which are mostly avoidable...

As a doctor in training I am convinced that the best medicine that can be prescribed to get to the root of some of these problems is a good dose of body education.
"Bodies" has been created with this idea in mind and both Luca and I, from a medical and non-medical point of view, agreed that a visit possibly would change the relationship you have with your body in a radical way - A definite must see!