Naked truth. . .

TWENTY people have signed up to donate their bodies to science following an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester — and there is still time for Oldhamers to get in on the act.

Body Worlds is an exhibition by controversial pathologist Gunther Von Hagens which features human bodies that have been offered as part of a body donation programme and undergone a special process known as plastination.

The list of donors now includes 8,626 living donors, 127 of whom are from the UK, and 600 deceased donors.

Of the 20 recent recruits, six are from the North-West, including two from Rochdale.

The exhibition has already been seen by 25 million visitors in 45 cities across the world.

And with the exception of foetuses from historical anatomical collections pre-dating 1920, and some small organs from hospital anatomy and pathology programmes, all of the specimens in Body Worlds originate from the Body Donation Programme.

The plastination process involves draining bodily fluids and fats and replacing them with materials such as silicon rubber, before curing the bodies with light, heat and certain gases to give them a permanent structure.

Approximately 95 pr cent of Body Donors agree to have their plastinated remains shown in Body Worlds exhibitions, with the remainder stipulating that their organs and bodies are used solely by medical teaching establishments.

Oldhamers have just a few more days to catch the exhibition before it closes this Sunday and anyone hoping to find out more about body donation is asked to phone Body Worlds Media Manager Michelle Lewis on 0161 606 0178 before Monday.

Anyone who would like to find out about body donation after this date can visit the website on www.bodyworlds.com or email m.lewis@bw.plastination.com

Demand for Bodyworlds tickets is high and visitors are advised to book in advance by calling 0871 231 0847.