Cadaver

A cadaver is a dead human body, especially one preserved for anatomical study or dissection. Its use in education and research is governed by ethical, legal, and practical rules.

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Dissection: The systematic cutting of an organism to reveal its internal structures. Dissection exposes anatomical relationships that diagrams and imaging cannot fully reproduce.
Embalming: The treatment of a dead body to delay decomposition and prepare it for viewing or study. Embalming preserves cadavers for repeated handling, though it can alter tissues.
Herophilus: An ancient Greek physician in Alexandria, often described as an early systematic investigator of human anatomy. Herophilus is associated with early human dissections in the Hellenistic period.
Medical ethics: The principles and practices used to address moral questions in medicine and biomedical research. Ethical standards shape how cadavers are obtained, handled, studied, and commemorated.
Gross anatomy: The study of body structures visible without a microscope. Cadaver study is a central way to learn gross anatomy directly.
Formalin: A water-based solution of formaldehyde used as a disinfectant, preservative, and fixative. Formalin fixation is a common method for preserving cadaver tissues.
Mondino de' Liuzzi: A medieval Italian physician whose anatomy textbook drew on human dissection. His teaching helped reintroduce regular dissection into European medical education.
Informed consent: A person's voluntary agreement to an intervention after receiving relevant information and understanding its implications. Consent frameworks guide decisions about donating a body for education or research.
Surgical training: Education that develops the knowledge and skills needed to perform operations. Surgeons use cadavers to practice procedures without risk to living patients.
Plastination: A preservation process that replaces body fluids and fats with reactive polymers. Plastination creates durable specimens that can be displayed without conventional wet storage.