Are autopsies done on real cadavers?

Answer 1

An autopsy is the medical dissection, exploration, and evaluation of a deceased person's body. Any death that occurs outside the presence of a medical person, cannot be explained from medical history, occurs as a result of unknown causes or an accident or suspected homicide MUST undergo an autopsy even if the family objects. During an autopsy, not only are body structures evaluated, but tissue and blood samples are taken for lab testing and often preserved as evidence. So no, we don't call this "real cadavers"--they are real deceased persons.

You may be thinking about Medical Schools that, yes, use "real cadavers" for dissection during medical teaching. Living persons can sign papers indicating that they want to donate their bodies to science after they die. Or families may donate a person's body to a medical school--- before embalming is done. Cadavers may be used to teach suturing techniques (e.g. "stitches"), setting compound fractures, surgical procedures, and identification of cause(s) of death (for teaching purposes only).

Other than these two situations, there is also organ donation in which organs or tissues are taken from 'recently deceased' persons--many who are kept on artificial life supports (after being declared dead) just to keep blood flowing to tissues and organs.

Otherwise, there is no legal situation in which the body can be opened for purposes that remove organs, bones, or tissues. In fact, it is against the law and is abuse of a corpse if, say, a funeral home does more than embalming and preparation for burial. (Some funeral home morticians have been convicted for stealing body parts from dead bodies to sell for "donation".)

No person can refuse an autopsy for someone who has died under suspicious circumstances. Autopsy will always take precedence over organ donation or medical science donation because the County/State require a Cause of Death on Death Certificates. The body after autopsy is NOT appropriate for either organ donation or medical science donation. Likewise, an organ donation cadaver cannot then be appropriate for medical science donation, because medical schools request complete cadavers.

There can never be a "not real" cadaver. Either the person is dead or not dead. But there are strict guidelines and laws for how a dead body can be handled, transported, and what can (or cannot) be done to a body. Medical Schools do use plastic models -- such as to show one organ or organ system-- much like doctors have plastic models in their offices. But Medical Schools need full cadavers to help medical students learn from 'real bodies',

Answer 2

Yes, autopsies are typically done on real cadavers to determine the cause of death by examining the body's internal organs and tissues. Autopsies are an important tool in forensic medicine, pathology, and medical research.