"Everyone has a human body," said Coughlin. "Everyone should learn more about it."
"Body Worlds & The Story of the Heart" is on display at the museum from March 12, 2010 - July 18, 2010. Coughlin estimated hundreds of thousands of people will visit the exhibit, and recommended visitors purchase tickets in advance.
A petite blonde, Coughlin is a Colorado native and graduated from Ponderosa High School in Douglas County. She attended Knox College in Illinois and performed graduate studies at the University of Iowa before returning to the Denver area five years ago.
In her free time, Coughlin enjoys skiing with her family. Coughlin said she especially appreciated "The Flying Skier" specimen in "Body Worlds." The full-body plastinate is in the middle of a ski jump, and Coughlin praised the skier's subtle details.
"The intricacies of the skier's dissection are pretty spectacular," Coughlin said. The skier's pericardial sac, salivary glands and facial nerves are visible in the plastinate, which Coughlin said takes the work of an expert anatomist.
The specimens in "Body Worlds" are preserved through a process of plastination invented by German professor Dr. Gunther von Hagens in 1977. Plastinating a body can take up to one year and 3,000 hours, according to the medical director of the Institution for Plastination, Dr. Angelina Whalley.
The complex process starts with anatomical dissection, and is followed by soaking the body in acetone, which dehydrates the tissues. Then the body is dipped in a liquid polymer coating, and posed in a lifelike manner. The final step in plastination is curing the specimen with gas.
All bodies are donated to the Institute of Plastination, and the average age is 55 to 60 years old. While there may be a certain "ick" factor in the details of plastination, the exhibit is tastefully presented.
"It is not Hollywood, and Hollywood portrays the inside of bodies with Hollywood drama and gore," said Coughlin. The exhibit also gradually introduces the viewer to full-body specimens, starting with the more familiar sight of a skeleton and various organs.
The exhibit is intended for both adults and children, but Coughlin said the museum recommends viewing for children in 5th grade and higher. A portion of the exhibit with fetuses on display is separated from the rest of the exhibit by a curtain.
"Body Worlds & The Story of the Heart" focuses on the four chambers of the human heart, and the cardiovascular system throughout the body. Specimens of healthy hearts and diseased hearts are also presented side-by-side for comparison's sake.
"We are an intriguing species," said Coughlin. "We love to learn about ourselves."
Posted March 12, 2010 at 3:17 p.m. MST
