The Visible Human

I saw a documentary recently on the National Library of Medicine's Visible Human project. The documentary discussed the project as well as the background of the man who was used. The goal of the project was "the creation of complete, anatomically detailed, three-dimensional representations of the normal male and female human bodies."

The Washington Post reported:

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The convict who became the Visible Human male was Joseph Paul Jernigan. On July 3, 1981, he stabbed and then killed with a shotgun a 75-year-old man who surprised him during a robbery. He was convicted of murder and, after more than a decade on death row, was executed Aug. 5, 1993.

Jernigan had willed his body to the Texas anatomy board but almost certainly did not know that he was a candidate for the Visible Human Project at the time of his death... The advantage of using executed prisoners was obvious. Their deaths could be anticipated, and work on preserving their remains could begin almost as soon as they were officially declared dead. Of seven male cadavers under consideration, one other besides Jernigan's was that of an executed murderer.

Jernigan's body was not perfect. He had gained nearly 50 pounds since his arrest and was just under the weight limit. One testicle had been removed surgically when he was 15, and his appendix was taken out when he was 21. He was missing a tooth.

His body was frozen and cut into thirds. Then, millimeter by millimeter, layers were ground off and the remains were photographed. The ground-up bits were ultimately cremated. The result can be seen in this movie. Also you can browse the resources available through these links. I recommend the "real-time slice navigation" at this site.