ABSTRACT

This was first published in 2000:  This text explores issues surrounding the use of human cadavers and human tissues in science and medicine. This is an area of increasing significance in contemporary society, as more and more techniques become available for manipulating human genes and human material (including embryos, body organs and brain tissue). These issues are explored through case studies from contemporary society. Some of the most topical issues examined include plastination of human bodies as an art form, the use of biopsies from surgical operations, the ethics of using human DNA and stem cells in research, and the debate surrounding the transplantation of animal tissue and organs into humans.