February 2012

Dear Educator,

Happy New Year! 2012 at Science North and Dynamic Earth is going to be exciting!

Several special events kick off the new year, followed by new exhibit launches in February, March and April. Programs for all grade levels and ages are also filling up our calendar.

Read on to discover all that we have to offer in the coming months!

February Blog: A New Approach to Teaching Anatomy - Plastination

Traditionally, medical students familiarize themselves with the human body through a process called dissection.  This is when they remove skin and muscle from a corpse to expose the bones and ligaments. This process serves to help students learn about the structure of the human body up to, and including, the most intricate details of its tissues and functions.

In 1977, Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented a groundbreaking anatomical preservation method to train medical students called ‘plastination’.

This innovative preservation method allows a body to be displayed in a variety of unusual poses, either in its entirety or in various stages of anatomical dissection. It is even possible to take a body that has been dissected into components of interest and stretch it in all directions, thereby creating gaps that allow for informative glimpses into the body, and reveal structural relationships that would otherwise remain hidden.

Plastinates are able to convey far more than man-made, three-dimensional models. Plastination, like many revolutionary inventions, is simple in concept:

Embalming and Anatomical Dissection
The first step of the process involves halting decay by pumping formalin into the body through the arteries. Formalin kills all bacteria and chemically stops the decay of tissue. Using dissection tools, the skin, fatty, and connective tissues are removed in order to prepare the individual anatomical structures.

The Plastination process itself is based on two exchange processes:

Removal of Body Fat and Water
In the first step, the body water and soluble fats are dissolved from the body by placing it into a solvent bath.

Forced Impregnation
This second exchange process is the central step in Plastination. During forced impregnation, a reactive polymer replaces the solvent. To achieve this, the specimen is immersed in a polymer solution and placed in a vacuum chamber. The vacuum removes the solvent from the specimen and helps the polymer to penetrate every last cell.

Positioning
After vacuum impregnation, the body is positioned as desired. Every single anatomical structure is properly aligned and fixed with the help of wires, needles, clamps, and foam blocks.

Curing (Hardening)
In the final step, the specimen is hardened. Depending on the polymer used, this is done with gas, light, or heat.

Dissection and Plastination of an entire body requires about 1,500 working hours and normally takes about one year to complete.

Plastination enables the aesthetic display of anatomical specimens. Since 1997, more than 33 million people around the world have seen Gunther von Hagens’ work. BODY WORLDS Vital is von Hagens’ latest exhibit of anatomy and Science North is proud to host its Canadian Premiere.

To learn more about BODY WORLDS Vital and the Plastination technique, please visit bodyworlds.com

Watch a video about plastination »
Visit our BODY WORLDS Vital page »

Blog post written by Danielle Waltenbury, Senior Scientist, Science North

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This Month’s Theme: The Human Body

The human body is built for action and experience. Intricately formed for optimal functioning, the living body is designed for survival, striving, and achievement.

BODY WORLDS Vital celebrates the potential of the human body and the body in motion. Featuring authentic human bodies, the exhibition shows the body in health, distress, and disease. These detailed anatomical studies, compositions, and representations allow visitors a penetrating gaze at what lies beneath the skin. In this collaboration between donors, anatomists, and visitors, the donors having given legal consent during their lifetimes to participate in BODY WORLDS - act as guides and teachers on this scientific journey.

Learn More »

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Dana’s Science-ational Lesson

Learn how to build your very own stethoscope with this great lesson by Staff Scientist Dana Murchison. Your students can learn all about the human heart, cardiovascular system, the importance of eating healthy, and why exercise is necessary for the human body to stay in top shape!

Build a Stethoscope »

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A 'Titanic' Presentation for Students!

For Students in grades 7 to 12
Thursday February 23, 2012
10:00am., IMAX® Theatre  

Dr. James Delgado is a Marine Archaeologist and has led or participated in shipwreck expeditions around the world. His undersea explorations include RMS Titanic, the discoveries of Carpathia the ship that rescued Titanic’s survivors, and the notorious “ghost ship” Mary Celeste.  2012 marks the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and Dr. Delgado’s presentation will inspire your students to remember, explore, and rediscover the 'unsinkable' Titanic. After the presentation, students will view the IMAX® film Titanica.

Hurry, this presentation will sell out very quickly.

Register Today »
Learn More »

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National Engineering Month

February 27 to March 2, 2012
(Suitable for grades 4 to 8)

Harness the potential energy of an elastic band and build a rubber band racer. During this all-day event, students will build a racecar while experimenting with wheels, axles and pulleys and discover energy transfer. A friendly competition among classmates highlights the design and effectiveness of the cars. At the end of the day, their car is theirs to keep! This full-day event also includes the IMAX film Super Speedway.

Curriculum Links:
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Grade 4: Pulleys and Gears
Grade 5: Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms
Grade 7: Form and Function
Grade 8: Systems in Action

Cost: $6 plus applicable taxes per student for member schools and $16 plus applicable taxes per student for non-member schools.

For questions on the experience and to register, contact Danielle Waltenbury at 705.522.3701 ext. 393.

Learn More »

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Stories of the North

February 1 to February 29, 2012
(Suitable for grades 5 to 8)
All-day event!

Who ever said history could only be found in books? This February, history comes alive at Dynamic Earth in an all-new special program based at one of Sudbury’s first and biggest tourist attractions! Students will have the chance to explore
the rich history behind Sudbury’s mining district and how the old Sudbury Junction fits into some of the biggest historically and culturally significant events of the 20th century.

Cost: Free for member schools and $10 plus applicable taxes per students or non-member schools.

For questions on the experience and to register, contact Jennifer Beaudry at 705.522.3701 ext. 407.

Learn More »

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F.I.R.S.T. Lego® League Update!

On Saturday November 19, 2011, Dynamic Earth hosted its 7th Annual F.I.R.S.T. Lego® League tournament. The topic was "Food Safety" and there were 10 teams who participated.

Two teams from this Regional Qualifying Tournament were advanced to the Provincials, which were held on Saturday January 14, 2012 at the University of Ontario's Institute of Technology:

• Team 890, Ice Breakers from North Bay
• Team 7514, Legonauts from Sudbury

Congratulations to the Legonauts, who won 3rd place in the Western Provincials league! There were 40 teams in each division (Western & Eastern).

Learn More »

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Thank you for subscribing to Science-ational News for educators. We look forward to welcoming you to Science North and Dynamic Earth this school year!