Entire Collection
Plastinated Enlarged Human Heart
Specifications
Plastinated Enlarged Human Heart
Category
Health and Medicine
Classification
CHENHALL - Tools & Equipment for Science & Technology - Biological T&E - Biospecimen
Physical Characteristics
Object Description: Enlarged human heart that is spherical with a round conical bottom, roughly the size of a baseball. Pale pink in color with two (2) thin, light pink and red tubes cutting diagonally across the top and bottom. Even tinier, spindly veins protrude perpendicularly from these tubes. There are three (3) large tubes coming out of the top. The largest tube, with three (3) smaller tubes emerging from it, arches up and towards the back of the object. Remai...
Measurements: Object:
Length: 8 in, Width: 5.5 in, Depth: 4 in
Credit
Museum Purchase, 2007.3.6
Display Status
On Exhibit
Plastinated Enlarged Human Heart
About: Plastinated Enlarged Human Heart
About: Plastinated Enlarged Human Heart
The enlargement of this human heart was likely caused by a condition that makes the heart pump harder than usual, such as coronary artery disease. Because of this enlargement, the muscles that make up the heart actually become weaker. This real human specimen was preserved through the process of plastination, invented by Dr. Gunther Von Hagens and patented between 1977 and 1982. Von Hagens’ goal was to preserve specimens for medical study.
Plastination is a multi-step process that can take up to a year to complete. All bodily fluids and soluble fats are removed from the specimens and then replaced by resins and elastomers, natural or synthetic polymer having elastic properties. Once the specimen has absorbed these substances, it can be with gas, light or heat to harden and preserve it. The plastination took place at the Institute for Plastination in Germany.
Additional information
Copyright information
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