One of the last gifts you can conceivably give is yourself — in other words, donating your body to science. Becoming a learning opportunity for researchers or students might be appealing, but handing yourself over to “science” sounds pretty vague, and knowing who to contact or what to ask about the process could seem daunting, particularly if someone doesn’t know anyone else who has donated before.
“I think that body donation is still a fairly unusual choice of disposition,” says Brandi Schmitt, the anatomical services director for University of California Health. If you're considering this option, here are some tips on finding the donation opportunity that’s just right for you.
When it comes to talking about “body donation,” the term generally refers to giving more than individual organs or tissues. If someone wants to, say, make their lungs, eyes or other individual tissues available after death, federal organizations help connect ...
