OUR BODY:The Universe Within exhibit

 
 
  Several of us from Lone Star Corral went to San Antonio to the Witte Museum to see the exhibit of OUR BODY: THE UNIVERSE WITHIN. I had heard about this exhibit and was eager to see it. We had group tickets so didn't have to wait in the long line to get in. Due to the popularity of the exhibit, they only let in a certain number of people every hour.
This was an amazing exhibit -- there were dozens of actual human bodies, organs and muscles exposed. I know this exhibit is controversial in some circles, and some folks didn't want to go, feeling that it would be "gory". I found it to have a very educational feel, not gory at all. It was quite fascinating to me. I was disappointed that absolutely no photos were allowed. The museum said it was for copyright reasons, but I suspect it was also political. Since there were security guards watching, I did not try for photos; instead I have taken photos of the brochure we got at the museum.

The bodies were not enclosed - we could view them up close but no touching. In addition to the dozen whole bodies (minus skin), there were approximately 75 body part displays. Organs were visible in detail, giving us a unique opportunity to explore the human body. I have studied anatomy in detail in school but this was truly awe inspiring. Some of the organs were duplicated in healthy and diseased versions. I hope seeing those lungs made an impression on smokers! One of the full size body specimens consisted of nothing but the circulatory system, color coded. There were so many incredibly detailed exhibits that I cannot begin to describe them all.

One part of the exhibit was of fetuses in stages of development. I found it quite miraculous to see the tiny bodies. This part of the exhibit was sectioned off, giving people a choice of viewing it or not.

The bodies were "plasticized" -- treated by a patented polymer impregnation that replaces bodily fluids with polymers that prevent decomposition. This process maintains the integrity of organs, vessels and muscles, providing a spectacular illustrative study of the body, and a perspective formerly reserved for medical professionals.

I have heard several stories about the origination of the bodies. They were clearly oriental. The official story says "The bodies were donated by Asians who wanted to make a contribution to science."

In addition to the specimens, the exhibit also had sections on the history, art and science of anatomy. Several drawings (copies) by Leonardo da Vinci were shown.

This exhibit does bring forth strong emotions in a lot of people. For me, it was a sense of wonder and appreciation of how our bodies are made and how they function.