Plastination

Question 1

What is plastination?

Answer 1

 PLASTINATION IS A SPECIALIZED PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE INVENTED BY THE GERMAN ANATOMIST ,PROF GUNTHER VON HAGENS

 PLASTINATION IS THE REMOVAL OF WATER & LIPIDS FROM TISSUE & REPLACING THEM WITH A PLASTIC POLMER USING FORCED IMPREGNATION

Question 2

What is the word plastination derived from?

Answer 2

THE WORD PLASTINATION IS DERIVED FROM A GREEK WORD ‘PLASSEIN’, MEANING TO SHAPE OR MOULD.

Question 3

How did the idea of plastination come about?

Answer 3

THE IDEA OF PLASTINATION HOWEVER, CAME IN HIS MND WHILE HE WAS STILL AN ANATOMY ASSISTANT, HE WAS PRESENTED WITH A KIDNEY EMBEDDED IN A CLEAR PLASTIC, IT WAS MIND BLOGGING TO HIM AS HE FELT THAT INSTEAD OF PLASTIC BEING AROUND THE SPECIMEN, WHY SHOULD IT NOT BE IMPREGNATED INTO THE KIDNEY

Question 4

Advantages of plastinated specimens:

Answer 4

 SPECIMEN IS DRY AND ODOURLESS

 SPECIMEN IS EASILY AND SAFELY HANDLED AND STORED WITHOUT DETERIORATION

 SPECIMEN IS NON-PERISHABLE AND HAVE INDEFINITE SHELF LIFE

 NATURAL COLOUR OF THE SPECIMEN IS PRESERVED

Question 5

Types of plastination commonly used:

Answer 5

 S10 (SILICON) : SUITABLE TO MAKE DISSECTED BODY PARTS AND WHOLE
ORGANS

 E12 (EPOXY) : SUITABLE TO MAKE TRANSLUCENT BODY SLICES

 P40 (POLYESTHER) : SUITABLE TO MAKE THIN SLICES OF NEURO TISSUES

Question 6

Plastination

Preparation of the specimen:

Answer 6

PREPARATION OF SPECIMEN – INVOLVES FIXATION, HARVESTING, DISSECTING AND SLICING

Question 7

Platination

Dehydration:

Answer 7

DEHYDRATION – REMOVAL OF WATER AND LIPIDS FROM THE CELLS AND BEING REPLACED BY KETONE OR ALCOHOL

Question 8

Plastination

Forced impregnation:

Answer 8

FORCED IMPREGNATION – IS THE REPLACEMEMENT OF ACETONE OR ETHANOL FROM THE TISSUE WITH PLASTIC POLMER

Question 9

Plastination

Curing

Answer 9

CURING – PROCESS OF HARDENING OF THE SPECIMEN AFTER IMPREGNATION

Question 10

Fixation

point 1:

Answer 10

MOST PLASTINATED SPECIMENS START FROM FIXED MATERIAL AND EVERY ESTABLISHED FIXATION METHOD IS APPLICABLE

Question 11

Fixation

point 2:

Answer 11

ARTERIALLY INJECTED HUMAN CADAVERS YIELD WELL FIXED ORGANS IN THEIR CORRECT ANATOMICAL POSITION

Question 12

Fixation

point 3:

Answer 12

HOLLOW ORGANS HAVE TO BE DILATED DURING FIXATION, VERY IMPORTANT IN HEART PLASTINATION

Question 13

Fixation

point 4:

Answer 13

FIXATION CAN BE OMITTED WHEN USING EPOXY RESIN. EPOXY RESINS HAVE FIXATION PROPERTIES, RESULTING IN BETTER COLOUR PRESERVATION

Question 14

Why are the processes of dehydration and defatting mandatory?

Answer 14

DEHYDRATING AND DEFATTING ARE MANDATORY SINCE WATER AND LIPIDS CAN NOT BE EXCHANGED DIRECTLY AGAINST POLMERS

Question 15

Dehydration methods used:

Answer 15

DEHYDRATION METHODS USED :
 STEPWISE DEHYDRATION IN GRADED ETHANOL
 FREEZE SUBSTITUTION WITH ACETONE

PROPER DEHYDRATION MUST ALWAYS AVOID SHRINKAGE

Question 16

Forced impregnation

Step 1:

Answer 16

 THE IMPORTANT STEP IN PLASTINATION

 AFTER DEHYDRATION, THE SPECIMEN IS PLACED IN A POLMER SOLUTIONS

Question 17

Forced impregnation

Step 2:

Answer 17

THE ACETONE HAS A HIGH VAPOR PRESSURE AND LOW BOILING POINT, WHILE THE POLMER HAS A LOW VAPOR PRESSURE AND HIGH BOILING POINT, WHEN THE VACUUM IS APPLIED THE ACETONE INSIDE IS EXTRACTED OUT AND POLMER INSIDE USING NEGATIVE PRESSURE FORMING BUBBLES IN A SOLUTION

Question 18

Forced impregnation

Step 3:

Answer 18

THE SPEED OF IMPREGNATION DEPENDS ON THE SPECIMEN AND CLASS OF POLYMER

Question 19

Curing

When does it commence?

Answer 19

AFTER REMOVAL FROM THE IMPREGNATING BATH, CURING IS CARRIED OUT.

Question 20

Curing

The three techniques used:

Answer 20

 A GAS CURING PROCEDURE IS USED FOR SILICONE SPECIMENS

 EPOXY RESIN SPECIMENS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TISSUE AMINES

 POLYESTER USES UV LIGHT FOLLOWED BY HEAT TREATMENT