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We all depend on medical innovation — whether to help us get over the flu or bring us lifesaving cures — but what happens when we die?
While most Australians have considered donating their organs, donating your body to science remains a foreign concept to many.
Conclusive data is hard to find, but some estimates show registrations number fewer than 2,000 a year, according to funeral service provider Bare.
Meanwhile, nearly 209,000 people joined the Australian Organ Donor Register in 2022.
Unlike organ donation, body donors must register their interest via a medical facility or university near them.
But donations can be crucial for anatomical studies and help create breakthrough medical technology.
Here’s a deep dive into the world of body donation:
Australian support for body donors low
If the idea of leaving your body to science makes you uneasy, you are not alone.
Even some health students are hesitant to donate their bodies, according to a 2022 University of Sydney study.
Interestingly, some students had never considered registering for body donor programs, which are a lot less publicised than the organ donor register.
Of those who did support body donations, contributing to research and helping future student education were among the top reasons why.
Meanwhile, discomfort with the concept and concerns over how their body may be used dissuaded other students.
The study found those who practice a religion were also the least likely to support body donation.
In a separate estimate by the Courier Mail, related to Queensland University of Technology’s donor program, roughly 70 per cent of men donated their bodies to science — versus 30 per cent of women.
‘Silent teachers’ transforming the world of medicine
While some Australians may baulk at the idea of being body donors, one university program is hoping to buck that trend.
The University of Adelaide operates a central mortuary facility on behalf of the state’s universities.
Its body donor program historically has one of the highest donation rates per capita across Australasia.
Dean of medicine and head of the Adelaide Medical School Danny Liew says the program receives approximately 300 consent forms each year.
“Some of the consent forms in our archives date back to 1955,” he said.
Dr Liew says there are varied reasons to sign up.
“Some people register because they want to give back to the community, others may have a family member in the medical field,” he said.
“Everyone has their own reason for donating.”
About 80 donors are accepted into the Adelaide program annually.
Dr Liew says those bodies are used for “world-class training and research” in “whatever way is deemed most beneficial to science”.
“A person who donates their body to science is making one of the greatest commitments possible,” he said.
“They are making a lasting contribution to the education and training of our current and future health professionals and advancing science through research.”
Western Sydney University Human Anatomy and Physiology associate professor Peter Shortland agrees, saying the “education value is just huge”.
“I think, for the students, (the body donor program) is one of the main reasons that they do this course,” he said.
“The interesting thing about real people is they’re not all the same.
“A textbook is always the same, but with humans, there’s a number of anatomical variations and doctors need to be aware of that.”
He points out a recent example in class where a donor had a main nerve branched in two completely different places — something that would never be shown on a model or in textbooks.
“You can only learn on the real thing,” he says.
But Dr Shortland acknowledges those same students who rush to the program hesitate to put their hands up to donate themselves.
High school curriculums often include information about the national organ register and he wonders if the same could be done for body donor programs.
“It’s a difficult subject because it deals with issues people don’t want to think about, like their own mortality or the death of a loved one,” Dr Shortland says.
“I think there’s a lot of issues in why people do and don’t (donate).
“Some of these are cultural or religious but some of these are just ignorance.
“They don’t know how to go about it, or how to find places to donate.”
Thriving anatomical research also depends on a variety of bodies, even though older Australians are the most likely to sign up and donate.
And for studies on the reproductive system, age diversity is crucial.
“In elderly females, there’s the distinct possibility they may have had a hysterectomy,” Dr Shortland said.
“Unless we get adequate diversity in our bodies, it makes it a real challenge for health professionals to understand the demographics and diversity of multicultural Australia in what we’re seeing.”
UNSW Senior Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology lecturer Rachel Berry says all donors are treated with the highest level of “dignity, respect and anonymity”.
But open chats with family before your death can help loved ones feel more at ease with the choice.
“If someone is considering donating their body to research, their family should be made aware of their wish to bequeath their body,” she said.
“The donor’s relatives can then ask any questions and fully understand the donor’s reasons for wanting to do this.
“The bequeathal process also relies on the university being made aware of the donor’s death.
“Unless this is done by relatives, or the donor’s doctor if they were made aware of their wish to bequeath their body, then the person will not become a donor.”
Dr Berry said the university respects the wishes of the family if it chooses not to donate their loved ones.
Ultimately, she says, the donation is an opportunity to become a “silent teacher” beyond your lifetime.
“Body donation for the purpose of anatomical examination and education is a unique gift that makes a vital contribution to the training of healthcare professionals and helps the entire community.”
Want to know more?
Take a look to see if we can answer your burning questions.
Can I say what my body is donated to?
That depends.
Some like UNSW are updating bequeathal programs to give donors more choices as to how their donation is used.
“For example, donors may opt for their body to be used for the purposes of teaching or research, or both,” Dr Berry said.
A general rule is that researchers can use the body in whatever way is most beneficial to science.
Some facilities can also ask for consent to use your body for sponsored research.
The University of Wollongong’s body donor program says this option could mean your body is provided to outside organisations to collect tissue or develop new medical treatments.
Donating parts of your body to research for a specific disease or illness is also possible depending on the centre, Dr Shortland says.
In the case of dementia, Dementia Australia says there are several brain banks open across Australia, which can be found here.
Unfortunately, brain banks do not operate in all states and territories.
How long can they keep my body?
Up to eight years, depending on the state you live in and what permissions you grant.
In New South Wales, for example, The Anatomy Act 1997 stipulates a body can be retained for a maximum of four years.
An inspector can then apply to keep the body for another four years.
Written consent has to be given before a facility can indefinitely keep your body.
Dr Shortland says, in most cases, a body can sit for a year before it is used for research.
Can any body be accepted?
Unfortunately, no.
While over 18s are encouraged to apply, there may be a number of conditions which mean your body cannot be accepted.
Some of these include:
- Being obese or too thin
- Having an infectious disease
- Not notifying facility staff about the death in a timely manner
- Dying over the Christmas break
- Dying outside the program’s catchment area
What is the cost involved?
Little to none.
A perk of donating your body to science is it is a cost-effective funeral method.
Many universities pay for mortuary transportation to the facility, and cremation once research is completed.
However, any additional memorial services have to be paid for by your next of kin.
Can my family donate my body?
Depends on the program.
In any case, your senior next of kin should be informed of your choice, and be willing to uphold your choice.
This may extend to them signing a consent form.
A public trustee can be assigned as your executor if you have no next of kin.
Both the University of Queensland and The University of Adelaide accept a donor even if they did not give consent during their lifetime.
Dr Liew says their program allows senior next of kin to give consent.
“In the absence of a signed and witnessed consent form, the University of Adelaide can accept a signed Body Donation consent form from the senior available next of kin on behalf of the deceased after death has occurred,” he said.
Western Sydney University also permits a person with power of attorney to donate, says Dr Shortland.
In most programs, if a family objects, the research facility can reserve the right to decline the donation.
Potential donors can also revoke their consent at any time via a letter informing the facility of their decision.
Can I also be an organ donor?
Kind of.
While you can register as a body donor and organ donor (which you can do through the Australian Organ Donor Register), many medical programs need a fully intact body.
The reason why dual registration is available is that fewer than 1 per cent of people die in a way that makes organ donation possible, according to the University of Sydney’s program.
A practice that’s ancient history
Despite what you may think, body donation is not new, with roots in Ancient India and Greece.
Both civilisations have early evidence of using bodies to study medicine, with Greece opening an Alexandrian anatomy school in the third century.
In ancient Indian medical scripture — the Sushruta Samhita — renowned surgeon Sushruta dissected donated cadavers, producing profound medical knowledge.
However, these medical advancements would drop off up until the Renaissance.
During this time, body donations were strongly discouraged as scholars believed procuring a body from the grave was a bad omen.
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Roman physician Galen instead dissected animals in 1300 AD, believing their anatomy to be similar.
It was not until the 1550s that Belgian Andreas Vesalius, regarded as the father of modern anatomy, brought back human dissection for education purposes.
Conducting the first scientifically established human dissection, his work challenged existing views.
From there, the Murder Act of 1752 was created — the first law passed across Britain and its then colonies — allowing public dissections of executed prisoners for science.
In 1832, The Anatomy Act of 1832 aimed to stop the widespread proliferation of grave robbers, and introduced voluntary body donations to science.
During the latter part of the 20th century, different parts of the world started to adopt similar laws, promoting whole-body donation for anatomical studies.
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