Interesting Facts about BODY WORLDS Vital Exhibition
The BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition is the largest exhibit ever presented at the South Carolina State Museum. It is a first-of-its-kind exhibition through which visitors learn about anatomy, physiology, and health by viewing real human bodies, using an extraordinary process called Plastination.
Plastination is a groundbreaking method for specimen preservation invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens in 1977. Each exhibition features real human specimens, including whole-body plastinates, individual organs, organ configurations and transparent body slices.
Plastination is the process of extracting all bodily fluids and soluble fat from specimens, replacing them through vacuum forced impregnation with reactive resins and elastomers, and then curing them with light, heat, or certain gases, which give the specimens rigidity and permanence.
The BODY WORLDS exhibitions aim to educate the public about the inner workings of the human body and show the effects of poor health, good health and lifestyle choices. They are also meant to create interest in and increase knowledge of anatomy and physiology among the public.
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. Visitors are drawn to real specimens in a way that they are not to plastic models. One of the special features of museums and science centers is that they offer people a chance to see the real thing in a safe and informative environment.
The BODY WORLDS exhibitions rely on the generosity of body donors; individuals who bequeathed that, upon their death, their bodies could be used for educational purposes in the exhibitions. The poses of the plastinates have been carefully thought out and serve educational aims. Each plastinate is posed to illustrate different anatomical features. For instance, the athletic poses illustrate the use of muscle systems while playing sports. The poses allow the visitor to relate the plastinate to his or her own body.
BODY WORLDS Vital is the largest and most expensive exhibition ever presented by the State Museum. The exhibit opened November 13 and runs through April 15, 2012 with 6,500 square feet of real human bodies, organs and systems assembled to teach guests how best to take care of their bodies and live longer, healthier and happier lives.
BODY WORLDS Vital is open to the public in the State Museum’s Blockbuster Gallery. Regular admission is $11 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $7 for ages 3-12, in addition to general museum admission. South Carolina students in groups are admitted for $5. Tickets can be purchased, and information can be found, on the Museum’s Web site: http://www.scmuseum.org.
