Our Body: The Universe Within

I went and saw the special exhibit, Our Body: The Universe Within, at the Detroit Science Center last weekend. If you haven’t heard of this exhibit, or similar ones at other cities, it is an educational exhibit comprised of actual human bodies and organs. Special polymers are used to replace the water and fat in the bodies to prevent decay and decomposition and then dissected to reveal different organs and systems within our bodies.   

I wasn’t sure how I’d react to this exhibit because I had a hard time dissecting worms and frogs in high school biology and these were going to be the bodies of real people. I have to admit that this exhibit was fascinating and at times I was able to forget these were once living and breathing human beings. And then you’d notice some hair or chewed fingernails and remember that these weren’t plastic models.  

Some of the displays were really amazing, such as one that exposed the spine and all of the nerves running from the spine to various parts of the body, or the one where the skull was peeled back to reveal the brain. Others focused on the circulatory system, skeleton, muscular system, and digestive system. A few poor specimens were literally cut in half or in slices, allowing you to see inside all the various organs. The one that was perhaps the most disturbing was the guy whose muscles were basically filleted and peeled back so you could see all the layers of muscle, from the outermost to the innermost layers.  There were also a few displays that showed healthy and diseased organs, such as healthy lungs and those of a smoker. A healthy liver and one with cancer. And a healthy stomach and one with an ulcer. It really was educational to see the actual effects of diseases on our body. 

If you live in the Detroit area, the exhibit runs through May 28, 2007. There is also a companion IMAX film, The Human Body, showing during the exhibit that was very interesting as well. The exhibit is recommended for children ages 13 and over. Children 12 and under must be accompanies by an adult.

Note: The pictures accompanying this article were copied from the Detroit Science Center web site.