How to donate your body to science

Do you donate your whole body, or just your organs? Who accepts donations? And what happens to your cadaver? Get the basics on body donation.

Roughly 18 years ago, a woman named Susan Potter asked to donate her body to science when she died. Now, she lives on as the highest-resolution digital cadaver that exists to date. Potter’s story, detailed in the January issue of National Geographic, has inspired many people to ask: How do I donate my body to science?

Bear in mind that if you decide to donate your body, chances are slim you will also become a digital cadaver. That process is highly intensive, and so far, only two people have become official Visible Humans. Instead, your cadaver will most likely be used for teaching purposes in medical schools. Sometimes, donated corpses even help teach forensics teams how bodies decompose,

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