Under the futuristic vision of anatomical sciences, a strong societal connection is mandatory. The anatomical practice experienced robust societal participation through public human dissection from the 16th century onward. With a perspective to explore the intersection of spirituality with anatomy, the present study analyzed this momentous period.…

Many institutions worldwide honor the gift of human body donors through memorial services, ceremonies, and various other means, such as guided reflection or art activities. Memorial services can vary when it comes to the name, who is involved in the planning, and who may attend. Within the United States, the role of religion in the planning and…

Dissection of human body donors is a valuable part of anatomical education, research, and clinical training. In the United States, deceased human bodies are predominantly sourced through whole-body donation programs (BDPs) housed by academic institutions. Due to the lack of information regarding BDPs, the aim of this study was to gather…

The attitudes of anatomists toward donating their own bodies are a question of matter in the literature of medicine. The aim of the study was to evaluate the attitudes of Turkish anatomists regarding the donation of their own bodies as teaching material after death. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among anatomists in Türkiye…

Clinical anatomy education is meant to prepare students for caring for the living, often by working with the dead. By their nature many clinical anatomy education programs privilege topographical form over the donor's humanity. This inbalance between the living and the dead generates tensions between the tangible and the spiritual insofar as…

The Pernkopf atlas is a well-known case study of anatomists' ethical transgressions in using bodies of Nazi victims for professional purposes and the relevance of this history for today. This study examines the likely sources from which Pernkopf developed his own anatomical gaze and pedagogical approach to depicting the human body. It also…

Donor-centered education offers students the opportunity to not only acquire visual and tactile experiences for applying anatomical knowledge but also a chance for students to reflect upon fundamental humanistic principles. The exploration of differences in students' viewpoints on body donation and the utilization of body donors in their education…

In recent years, China has been facing a shortage of cadavers for teaching medical students. A better comprehension of the attitudes and factors influencing the general public's opinion toward body donation would be invaluable for planning and implementing body donation programs. Although altruistic attitude and attitudes toward death have…

Bodies of the deceased are important for training healthcare professionals in anatomy education, research, and clinical skills. While body donation programs exist in many countries around the world, few exist in Africa, likely due to strong religious convictions of the public, socioeconomic factors, and other difficulties. Consequently, many…

Although a diversity of religions exists in South Korea, with Buddhism and Christianity (Protestantism and Catholicism) being the two main faiths, Korean beliefs are deeply rooted in Confucianism. Despite the notion that the Confucian norm of filial piety discourages body donation to medical science, there has been a mindset shift in favor of body…

Voluntary donation is the ethically acceptable method for whole-body acquisition for anatomy education worldwide. In Africa, educational institutions struggle with this since many people remain unwilling to donate their bodies due to the strong influence of cultural and religious beliefs in decision-making. As part of wider efforts to improve the…

Health education, research, and training rely on the altruistic act of body donation for the supply of cadavers. Organ transplantation and research rely on donated organs. Supply of both is limited, with further restrictions in Australia due to requirements for a next-of-kin agreement to donation, irrespective of the deceased's pre-death consent.…

Cadaveric dissection offers an important opportunity for students to develop their ideas about death and dying. However, it remains largely unknown how this experience impacts medical students' fear of death. The current study aimed to address this gap by describing how fear of death changed during a medical gross anatomy dissection course and how…

Human body donors play a crucial role in anatomical education, research, and clinical skills training, and those interested in anatomical donation may bequeath their bodies to body donation programs (BDPs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perspective of body donors on the donation process in order to make recommendations for…

The current Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to about 220 countries of the world and has resulted in a significant number of deaths globally. Infections are still on the rise, and the impact on the global death rate could be devastating. There are fears over the likely impact of a large number of deaths on body sourcing and…