The deep-seated fear over the post-mortem use of human body parts remains a concern in the modern era, despite the increasing secularization of society and new developments in medical science. The perceived acceptance of invasive forms of medicine – particularly procedures within surgery, notably transplantation – does not secure medics from approbation when they are seen to operate outside the bounds of socially accepted boundaries. However, the issue is not clear-cut; as well as public outrage after revelations by the media, there is also widespread interest in the anatomy of the human body.

Anatomy Teaching

Anatomy teaching and the use of bodies by medical schools has become an area that is less controversial; most medical schools no longer require preclinical medical students to dissect cadavers but instead use prosection specimens for teaching anatomy, while current preservation techniques enable bodies and body parts to be retained for many years. The very small numbers of current donations are sufficient for use. While anatomical dissection is no longer a part of undergraduate medical education, it is still an essential element of postgraduate training for surgeons. As access to cadavers has been reduced, acquiring expertise in anatomy and dissection is facilitated by the use of anatomy models, radiographic techniques and computer-assisted learning.

Pathology emerged as an important area of medical teaching in the late nineteenth century.