Science in 3-D

Displays to afford glimpse at healthy and diseased corpses

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A human corpse is propped up and posed as a football player running with a ball. His muscles and joints are exposed, preserved and feel like a rubbery substance when touched.

Although it may sound like a scene from a horror movie, Bodies... The Exhibition is a scientific look at the human body from the inside out using real cadavers. The exhibit, which was set to open on Friday at the Tropicana, is organized by Premier Exhibitions, the same company that created Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit.

The 20,000-square-foot Bodies exhibition shows 21 whole-body cadavers and 260 organs and partial-body specimens. Visitors are able to see the skeletal, muscular, respiratory and other systems within the human body from a different perspective.

The bodies are posed in various positions and propped on platforms.

The creators of Bodies said it is designed to educate people about the human body and to provide people with the mind-set to improve their quality of life.

"Body education is one of the major goals of the exhibition," said Dr. Roy Glover, chief medical adviser and spokesman for Bodies. "It's about teaching people to understand their bodies better and how they function and what disease does to the body."

Besides highlighting major organs, muscles and systems of the body, the exhibit provides viewers with an inside look into what is happening to a body plagued with disease or self-caused afflictions.

Bodies co-designer John Zaller said the most striking gallery to viewers is the comparison of a healthy lung to a smoker's lung. While the healthy, preserved lung appears pinkish-white, the smoker's lung is soot-black. Zaller said the smoker's lung was not colored in any way.

"In that room, we have a clear plastic box with a slot about the size of a cigarette box. People can choose to quit smoking immediately," Zaller said.

Zaller said people also seem to be most interested in the muscular and the fetal development galleries. Different stages of human formation, from an embryo to a nearly formed infant, are available to view in the fetal development gallery.

The exhibit also offers a touch booth, where people can feel different human organs.

Glover said he hopes the exhibit will open the eyes of those who view it.

"It's interesting to me that people take better care of their cars than their bodies. You can always buy a new car; you can't buy a new body," he said.

Glover said Las Vegas is a prime example of people mistreating their bodies. Eating, drinking and smoking too much and exercising too little are humans' major vices, he said.

"Take a walk through the casino, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about," Glover said.

The entire process of dissecting and preserving the cadavers varies. Individual organs can take about a week, while entire bodies take a year.

Normally, Glover said, the bodies are removed from the medical school within 48 to 72 hours. The cadavers are then placed in a preservative fluid, which Glover described as similar to an embalming fluid that does not make the tissues rigid. The body is dehydrated and filled with acetone, which is the same chemical found in nail polish remover.

Glover said the body is then placed in a vacuum tank filled with liquid silicone. The acetone then becomes gas, and the silicone rubber fills the body. The silicone hardens, leaving a somewhat-malleable specimen that can be colored and posed.

Once the process is finished, Glover said the body is odorless and will last indefinitely. He said the hardest organ to preserve is the brain because of the amount of water it contains.

The exhibit is currently being shown in four other cities: London, Atlanta, New York City and Tampa Bay, Fla.

Bodies is not without controversy. In Tampa Bay, Florida's Anatomical Board voted against allowing the exhibit to open in August 2005, according to a National Geographic article. The board opposed the exhibit because the identities of the bodies were unknown. However, Bodies did open as planned and extended its stay from February 2006 to Labor Day of this year.

The cadavers were obtained through the Dalian Medical University Plastination Laboratories in the People's Republic of China.

The identities of the bodies are unknown, and Glover said all of the individuals died of natural causes. Glover said the reason the bodies are from China is because the university is highly skilled in the preparation of human bodies and dissection.

According to the exhibition's literature, law prohibits an institution from disclosing the bodies' identities or cause of death.

Opponents of the exhibit have said that the people could not offer consent and therefore might not have wanted their bodies presented in such a way.

"If an exhibition were to improve the health and well being of people who come, who can argue with that?" Glover said.

Glover said the Las Vegas exhibition has not had any formal opposition. In the past, Glover said the people who voiced concerns about the event have not shown up to protest at the exhibition site.

Glover said for the most part, people who have an objection to the exhibit do not even choose to view it. The subject of real human bodies is one that is "emotionally charged," Glover said, and therefore will elicit strong reactions.

"Some people write things about us before we even come to town," he said. "We call it creative tension. There is creative tension in what we do. If everybody liked what you did, you'd have to wonder if it's worth doing."

He said great care has been taken to preserve the dignity of the body.

"The gift of life is the most precious gift that can be given to anyone after a person dies," he said. "We are deeply indebted to those whose bodies are on display."

A spokesman for the Tropicana said the executives are unavailable for comment on Bodies at this time.

Tickets for Bodies are on sale at www.bodiestickets.com or by calling 739-2411. Prices are $21 for area residents with an ID, $24 for adults, $22 for senior citizens and $15 for children ages 12 and under.