Tissue Digestion

Tissue Digestion

Tissue Digestion

Tissue digestion is a method of disposing bodies. The scientific term is "Alkaline Hydrolysis". It is used at several universities for the remains of animal cadavers as well as for human remains. In mortuary usage, the process is called "water reduction."

Method and Invention

The remains are dissolved in a mixture of heated water and lye. The remains are reduced to 2 to three percent of the original body weight. After the process is completed, only the bones of a body remain, and these can be ground in one's hand. The remaining protein matter of the body has been dissolved by the lye into a sterile liquid. The process was invented by retired pathology professor Gordon Kaye and retired biochemistry professor Bruce Weber in 1992.

Advantages

For morturary use, it is ten times cheaper than cremation, since it uses no gas. For disposal of animals, it also destroys prions, which rendering does not reliably do. It also does not cause air pollution. It is the most evironmentally-friendly and sanitary method for diposal of cadavers and remains.

Use in Mortuaries

Mortuary use is hindered by the fact that many of the human remains are liquefied and go into the sewer. Also, the notion of being dissolved causes some people discomfort. In response to the former, a process of dehydrating the liquid remains so they, with what remains of the bones, can be disposed of as traditional cremains has been developed. Use in mortuaries was not a concern of the company until the scandal at the Tri-State Crematory, which caused the mortuary industry to anticipate a declining public faith in cremation.

ources:

Roach, Mary. "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers." ISBN 0-393-05093-9.

External links

* [http://www.wr2.net/wr2_usa/usa/wrusa.html WR², the company that manufactures tissue digestion equipment]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Digestion — For the industrial process, see anaerobic digestion. For the treatment of precipitates in analytical chemistry, see Precipitation (chemistry)#Digestion. Entrails redirects here. For the practice of reading entrails, see Extispicy. Digestion is… …   Wikipedia

  • Tissue engineering — Principle of tissue engineering Tissue engineering was once categorized as a sub field of bio materials, but having grown in scope and importance it can be considered as a field in its own right. It is the use of a combination of cells,… …   Wikipedia

  • digestion — The process of breaking down food into substances the body can use for energy, tissue growth, and repair …   English dictionary of cancer terms

  • connective tissue — Anat. a tissue, usually of mesoblastic origin, that connects, supports, or surrounds other tissues, organs, etc. [1880 85] * * * Tissue in the body that maintains the form of the body and its organs and provides cohesion and internal support,… …   Universalium

  • Automated Tissue Image Systems — (ATIS) are computer controlled automatic test equipment (ATE) systems classified as medical device and used as pathology laboratory tools (tissue based cancer diagnostics) to characterize a stained tissue sample embedded on a bar coded glass… …   Wikipedia

  • Artificial digestion — is a laboratory technique that reduces digestible material for analytical purposes. Naturally occurring digestive agents such as pepsin and hydrochloric acid are typically used to accomplish artificial digestion. As an example, artificial… …   Wikipedia

  • self-digestion — noun lysis of plant or animal tissue by an internal process • Syn: ↑autolysis • Derivationally related forms: ↑autolytic (for: ↑autolysis) • Hypernyms: ↑lysis * * * | ̷ ̷ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Protocarnivorous plant — A protocarnivorous plant (sometimes also paracarnivorous, subcarnivorous, or borderline carnivore), according to some definitions, traps and kills insects or other animals but lacks the ability to either directly digest or absorb nutrients from… …   Wikipedia

  • Aquamation — L’aquamation est un terme récemment introduit pour désigner un procédé physico chimique en phase aqueuse, l’hydrolyse alcaline, qui dissout la matière organique des corps, en particulier mis en œuvre comme service funéraire. S’y rattachent… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sodium hydroxide — Sodium hydroxide …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”