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Plastination:
A tool for teaching and research
edited by A. H.
Weiglein
Special Issue Vol. 158, No. 1 (1997) of Acta
Anatomica
An
academic and research look at plastination
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Plastination:
A tool for teaching and research
is a
special issue of the anatomy journal Acta anatomica. This
soft cover book contains 82 pages and 61 figures is a book for
serious students of mummies. All you have to do is take a look at the
price and you'll know whether you are up to the commitment that
this book requires. But, believe me, the book is worth every penny.
The publisher says:
"Plastination is a unique technique of tissue preservation
developed by G. von Hagens in 1978. In this process, water
and lipids in biological tissues are replaced by polymers
such as silicone, epoxy or polyester, which are subsequently
hardened, resulting in dry, odorless and durable specimens.
The class of polymer used determines the optical and
mechanical properties of the impregnated specimen. Silicone
rubber is used for plastination of whole specimens and thick
body and organ slices; epoxy resins are used for hard, thin,
transparent body and organ slices; and polyester-copolymer
is exclusively used for hard brain slices to gain an
excellent distinction of gray and white matter.
The techniques of sheet plastination using epoxy or
polyester have become very important in human and veterinary
anatomy, histology and pathology. Plastinated material is
frequently used in correlation with MRI and CT scans, in
teaching neuroanatomy and in plastination histology.
Plastination also allows the freezing of movable and
flexible tissues in a particular stage, e.g. for
investigating the vascularity of the lunate bone. Since the
methods of plastination are still being developed, several
technical articles dealing mainly with safety problems have
been included in this issue.
"Offering the most up-to-date information on this promising
technique, this special issue will be appreciated by human
and veterinary anatomists, histologists, pathologists,
radiologists as well as by clinicians like ENT and
orthopedic surgeons with an interest in basic research."
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