If you are interested in human anatomy here’s a great learning adventure.

BodyWorlds is an exhibit of plastinated* human and animal bodies currently happening at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). It provides the viewer with a real sense of what some of our inner body parts look like. The figures portray anatomical detail which, because of how the tissue is preserved, is even more striking than often seen in cadaver labs. This particular exhibit includes some special attention to brain features.
The exhibit is a great learning tool for the massage student. Seeing bodies in in three-dimensional forms adds a perspective missed in A & P, and Kinesiology, lectures. In some cases the exhibit shows different stages of development; it also shows the body in different movement positions (i.e., engaged in different activities). In some specimens anatomical systems, like the nervous system, and give the viewer a great map of that system.

The exhibit closes on March 4…if you have time take it in. Regular adult admission is $25; with ID student admission is $20. You can obtain additional information at:   http://www.omsi.edu/on-view

*Plastination is a process which preserves and stabilizes tissue. The exhibit specimens come from cadavers which have been donated to scientific study.

OSM Student Activity Coordiantor Amy Stark says:     My husband and I recently went to the BodyWorlds exhibit. I felt humbled and inspired by seeing the various layers of the body unfolding in artistic expression. As a bodyworker, knowledgeable in the sciences, it was particularly encouraging to walk through the exhibit answering my husband’s questions about the structures of the body; seeing his face light up as he eagerly sought to understand more about what’s going on inside his own body. Also, getting a sense of the interconnectedness of the body in its most primal state deepened my work and my curiosity during the bodywork sessions that followed.

OSM Clinic Cirector, Jonathan Berg says:     Probably the greatest value to me of the exhibit is to be able to see the body 3 dimensionally and in scale.  Having the models in dynamic poses allows  to see structural relationships more clearly.  The models in able someone to see the accurate size and shape of structures more clearly  then any other way I believe.  Two lasting impressions for me are  just how deep the laminar groove is and how the layers of tissue are organized in the body. 

Aleta Goin, OSM Salem Pathology Instructor:     It was a fabulous exhibit.  This is my second time attending the event.  The first was when the exhibit was here previously.  Each time I learn something new about the human body, despite the numerous A&P and Kinesiology classes that I have taken.  Each display is an opportunity to see just how beautiful and complex the human body really is in a very visually dynamic way, and the entire exhibit is presented with a reverence for human life that I found very touching.  It’s an amazing opportunity and I have been encouraging all of my students to attend.  I offered them 10 points of extra credit if they attended and wrote a 2 page paper with their thoughts on the exhibit, something new they learned, and how they could apply that knowledge to their practice.

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One Response to BODYWORLDS…FASCINATING HEALTH SCIENCE…Ends March 5

  1. Shauna Sonoda says:

    Everyone should experience this at least once to gain a working knowledge of the human body in health and in disease. For LMTs and students taking A & P and Kinesiology it is a particularly valuable experience that will help you to solidify your knowledge. The adjunct piece on the brain provides some fascinating information as well. Don’t miss this opportunity…it is amazing!

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