Dr Gunther von Hagens Bodyworlds - London

Dr Gunther von Hagens' Bodyworlds in London has brough visitors from all over the world to see some of the incredible work the Dr has done and how he does it.For those that don't know every single body in the exhibition is real, they have been donated from people all over the world for this exhibit.

The Exhibit based at 1 Piccadilly shows you everything you need to know about the human body, showing you real human organs (that have been donated) from all different angles to give you the biggest insight yet into the human body and the different affects things have have on it. When you begin your visit you are given a headset as around the museum there is more information offered in certain areas and topics.

The exhibit cover everything from the growth of babies, to the effective of smoking on your body to Slices of a brain with a tumour the information you can get from visiting this museum is huge. The great thing about this is that its for everyone, whether you are someone learning about the human body to a family who are having a day out you are almost guaranteed to get something out of your visit.

Launching BodyWorlds in 1995, Dr Gunther von Hagens mastered his Plastination technique;

1. FIXATION & ANATOMICAL DISSECTION

The first step of Plastination is fixation. Formaldehyde or other preservation solutions are pumped through the arteries to kill all bacteria and to prevent the decomposition of the tissues. This process takes about 3-4 hours. After that dissection starts. Skin, fatty and connective tissues are removed in order to prepare the individual anatomical structures and elements. According to the complexity of specimens, dissection can take between 500 to 1,000 hours of labor.

2. REMOVAL OF BODY FAT AND WATER

When the necessary dissection is completed, the actual process of Plastination begins. In the first step, the water and soluble fats are dissolved from the body in a bath of acetone. Under freezing conditions, the acetone draws out all the water and replaces it inside the cells.

3. FORCED IMPREGNATION

The third step is the central phase of the Plastination process, forced impregnation. Here specimen is placed in a bath of liquid polymer, such as silicone rubber, polyester or epoxy resin. By creating a vacuum, the acetone boils at a low temperature. As the acetone vaporizes and leaves the cells, it draws the liquid polymer in so that the polymer can penetrate every last cell. This process lasts 2-5 weeks.

4. POSITIONING

After vacuum impregnation, the body is still flexible and can be positioned as desired. Every single anatomical structure is properly aligned and fixed with the help of wires, needles, clamps, and foam blocks. Positioning requires a lot of anatomical knowledge and a defined sense of aesthetics. This step can take weeks or even months.

5. CURING (HARDENING)

In the final step, the specimen is hardened. Depending on the polymer used, this is done with gas, light, or heat. Curing protects the plastinate against decomposition and decay. Dissection and Plastination of an entire body requires about 1,500 working hours and normally takes about one year to complete.

(information from 1-5 taken from https://bodyworlds.com/plastination/plastination-technique/)

This is how the exhibit which has been visited by more than 47 million people has been created. Without a doubt one of the must do things in London this year, next year and event he year after.

You can get yourself tickets here https://bodyworlds.com/city/london/