By: Isabela G.
Cadavers: What are they?
A cadaver is, essentially, a dead human body. Not to be confused with its more general counterpart, the corpse, cadavers are commonly known to serve as vessels of education and research for the medical world, but also utilized in other fields such as investigative work or even art. Michelangelo was said to have examined human structures through dissecting and inspecting cadavers in order to acquire a deeper understanding of anatomy which he applied to his later works. His efforts were fruitful, as seen through his statue of David and “The creation of Adam”. Cadavers serve a multitude of people, but have contributed greatly to medicine and continue to do so.
A brief history
The first known methods of dissecting the human body for scientific purposes was prior to the third to fourth centuries BCE. Aristotle and Hippocrates learned what they could, while limited, by examining the bones of human remains or inspecting animal corpses and applying this knowledge to humans. Later on, in Egypt, physicians started dissecting corpses that were once condemned criminals, and progress was made. However, as the Catholic Church began to dominate, dissection was seen in a negative light and wasn’t accepted. As medieval Europe brought about universities, it became a requirement that medical students were to attend a minimum of one anatomical dissection in order to be permitted to practice. This brought about the implementation of the class of gross anatomy, a requirement for any medical student.
What are they used for? What is their importance?
The silly misconceptions regarding dissections and cadavers are seen through movies like “Frankenstein”. Cadavers are an essential educational tool for medical school students trying to gain a stronger grasp of what truly lies beneath one’s skin. The class of gross anatomy is one that any medical student, present or past, will be all too familiar with. Students commonly work in small groups for each cadaver. The beauty of using real human bodies is that each one will have vast variation. Not only is the appearance and make up of our bodies completely unique on the outside, but with a swift dissection, it is clear to see that the same knowledge applies on the inside. Through inspecting a cadaver, students learn that each human has unique circumstances inside their bodies, and a medical worker must have a thorough knowledge of the body in order to fully acquire a thorough understanding of it and be capable of tending to a variety of different situations in the future. The uniqueness and surprises that a cadaver holds within are something that a simulated version cannot teach. Medical professor Callum Ross says, “You discover things when you dissect people that you can’t discover if it’s 25 bodies on a computer. You don’t find all this randomness, and you can’t ask these questions.” Whether surgeon or physician, it is imperative that all medical students dissect a cadaver as part of their medical education.
Along with initial, hands-on learning for students, cadavers serve several other significant purposes in the medical field as well. Cadavers can show how certain diseases ravage our bodies, as well as the numerous ways in which it can impact one differently depending on a person’s individual structure or build. Doctors and surgeons can perform test trials on cadavers to discover whether certain methods can be applied to real people. This way, no life is put at risk. Researchers can test prototypes for medical implants or prosthetic limbs using cadavers before testing them on a living person. Common irreversible diseases such as Cancer or Alzheimer’s can be observed through cadavers in order to better understand how they affect the body, and in turn, this information is put towards developing more useful, efficient treatment or even a potential cure for patients.
Cadavers are both useful and necessary tools for the medical world. The experience of dissecting a cadaver and the experiences and information gained from doing so is truly unforgettable. The usage of cadavers for medical education provides an experience that will and can never be replaced by technology.
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