Anatomy for Beginners

The lastest member to be added to my precious DVD collection, 'Anatomy for Beginners' presents live dissection of the human body in front of an audience, who I think must be medical students, as well as other general spectators. As explicit as it is, I find the show extremely educational and entertaining.

Anatomy for Beginners

The dissection is led by the German anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens, who I personally find quite charismatic and admirable. His passion for the human body makes me realise how much people take for granted their bodies. I find it a pity that everyday we move and go about doing things without even really understanding what goes on inside our bodies. But then again, what goes on inside is extremely complex. And that's what makes this DVD rather special.

Despite all the controversy surrounding Dr. Gunther's work, I think his invention of plastination was an ingenious step forward for us to better understand how the human body works and what each tiny bit inside all of us looks like. I never knew what the spinal cord actually looked like and how long it was , or that there's a spot on the inner thigh that makes one of your testicles move upwards, when lightly stroked (I am still yet to find it) .

The Anatomist: Dr. Gunther von Hagens (right)
and The Pathologist: Prof. John Lee (middle)

The DVD itself features 4 live autopsy episodes, explaining Movement, Circulation, Digestion, and Reproduction, as well as a documentary film on Dr. Gunther, centring on his Body Worlds exhibitions, and the development of his invention of plastination. All four episodes of the public autopsy feature commentary by Professor John Lee, a pathologist from London, who does a good job of explaining the functions of different body parts, as Dr. Guther dissects away.

All in all, a very entertaining, well-directed/filmed, attention sustaining TV event I'm happy to have in my collection. I shall now look for 'Autopsy: Life and Death', the second installment following the DVD, focusing on understanding causes of death, one being poisoning. Interesting!