Body donation - a noble deed for a noble cause

Body donation is the donation of the whole body after death for medical education and research. Donation is made by a person in charge of the dead body to medical college. Such donated bodies remain a principal teaching tool for anatomists and medical educators teaching gross anatomy. The Anatomy Act provides for the supply of unclaimed bodies to teaching institutions for the purpose of anatomical dissection and other similar purposes. In this article, historical aspects of body donation, importance of body donation, conditions in which body donation is not accepted, places where one can donate the body, types of body donation, donor's attitudes and steps to promote the body donation etc are discussed. This article also discusses newer things beyond anatomy dissection for which such donated bodies can be utilized.