BodyWorlds.. Glimpses of the Inner World

Unraveling Human Anatomy

The other day, visited the Tech Interactive Museum at SanHose after a long time. I was chaperoning for my High Schooler’s chemistry class field trip.

It kickstarted with the Laboratory session for the High Schoolers. Tiny test tubes, beakers, solvent, suction pumps and thermometers in action.. Felt like a High Schooler myself. The objective was to see the effect of Low Pressure on the Boiling Point of a liquid. And Wow.. The liquid started to boil almost at room temperature.

And that explains why lentils don’t cook easily in high altitudes at high pressure. The boiling point is shifted.

After the laboratory session, we we examined some of the exhibits at the Body Works. This was a recent addition to the Tech Museum.

The Journey of the food.. The stomach.. The Inner world of intestines and their tiny folded surfaces called villi.. The array of blood vessels lining the intestines.. It is an incredible Order of the Tissues and the Organs commissioned to work on a common goal.

It was surreal to see the lungs, the delicate diaphragm, and the curled up intestines..

The fine Mesh of ligaments and muscles of a Female Flamenco Dancer..

A dancing man and his muscles and ligaments in action.. The back view of lungs.. The Spine and Brain opened up

A Standing Woman and the frontal view of the heart, lungs and the delicate mushroom like diaphragm

How did they do such delicate detailing?

The very same principle of boiling point was in use.

All the fat and water content of the body was dissolved via a solvent under low pressure vacuum conditions. The low pressure enabled the liquids to boil at much lower temperatures without damaging the cells.

And later, polymer was injected and impregnated into the delicate structures to give it a shape.

Apparently it took around one year to prepare one exhibit. With 800 hours of skilled dissection, 4 months of acetone defatting and 8 weeks of polymer impregnation.

I kind of had mixed feelings. It seemed to surreal to watch. Shared the experience with my High School Biology teacher. No more imagining of Stomach and Villi. A work of Curiosity, Human Exploration, Craftsmanship, Patience and Technology.

Looks like there was a section on VR and Augmented Reality which I missed out. May be another time..

Like in the words of Gita..

Not a moment goes by without any Action. There is Action even in perceived Inaction..

I am the food. I am the wind.. I am the digestive fire. I am the fuel.. I am the destination.

There is a balance of Action and Inaction.. There is perfect Order and Harmony in all the planes. Lest there would be only Chaos..

https://bodyworlds.com/exhibitions/