AMSTERDAM.- The Beurs van Berlage presents Bodies...The Exhibition, on view through March 15, 2007. This spectacular exhibit allows visitors a unique opportunity to see the inner workings of real human bodies first-hand, featuring 22 whole body specimens, and over 260 organs and partial body specimens.

The exhibition showcases 22 whole-body specimens and more than 260 organs and partial body specimens that will give visitors the opportunity to see their own bodies in a fascinating way they never have before. These meticulously dissected whole-body specimens are featured to show the visitors exactly ‘what lies beneath’ and the complex systems involved in the activities that are a part of daily life.

“Your body is the only thing that you carry with you from the moment you are born until your last breath. Yet we know surprising little about ourselves,” said Dr. Roy Glover, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Michigan and Chief Medical Director for the Exhibition, a medical educator with more than 30 years of experience. “For centuries, this world has been off-limits to the public –open only to doctors and medical professionals. Now, for the first time, we are pulling back the curtain and allowing the public to see it for themselves, up-close and personal. Have you ever wondered what’s underneath your skin? After the seeing this exhibition, you will finally know. The body doesn’t lie.”

BODIES…The Exhibition features a gallery showcasing the eye-opening effects of obesity on the human body through authentic human bodies of those who damaged their organs due to over-eating and lack of exercise. The exhibition also features a healthy lung and a black lung ravaged by smoking side by side in a vivid comparison that is undeniable – and more powerful than any textbook image. In addition to providing an up-close look inside our skeletal, muscular, respiratory, and circulatory systems the exhibition encourages healthy lifestyle choices by serving as a wake-up call that demonstrates how our own choices directly affect our health. The exhibition will change the way people see themselves. It is designed to enlighten, empower, fascinate, and inspire.

The human body specimens in the exhibition are preserved through a revolutionary technique called polymer preservation. In this process, human tissue is permanently preserved using liquid silicone rubber that is treated and hardened. The end result is a rubberized specimen, preserved to the cellular level, showcasing the complexity of the body’s many bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. The full-body specimens can take over a year to prepare and after undergoing the polymer preservation process, they become impervious to decomposition.