Autopsy: A Matter of Life and Death

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

Natural Sciences, Science, Science Radio, Naked Scientists, Health & Fitness, Engineering, Medicine, Technology, Life Sciences

4.6 • 958 Ratings

🗓️ 20 June 2016

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week on the Naked Scientists, we observe a post-mortem. The patient was in his seventies but the coroner ordered an autopsy because the cause of death wasn't clear. Chris Smith observes pathologist Alison Cluroe conduct the procedure as she tries to find out why the patient died and sees how this once common practice is still saving lives... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript

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0:00.0	I have you loud and clear.
0:03.2	Hello.
0:04.2	Hello.
0:05.2	Welcome.
0:06.2	Science.
0:09.2	And that is the same physics, medicine, nature, space, time, brain, life, the universe.
0:16.2	Today you join me and a host of other medical consultants in this very special edition of
0:20.4	the program as we go under the knife and attempt to dissect the process of the
0:25.0	post-mortem. To take off the front of the ribcage and the breastbone we're going to need
0:29.6	to use some shears. So what happens in a mortuary?
0:37.0	How do pathologists determine a cause of death?
0:40.0	And why do we even do autopsies in the first place? I'm Chris Smith and this is The
0:46.7	Naked Scientists. The Naked Scientists podcast is powered by UKfast.co. UK. Before we ventured into the mortuary, I wanted to learn more about the history of the post-mortem
1:05.6	and how the process has changed over time.
1:08.0	So I spoke to consultant histopathologists and president of the Royal College of Pathologists,
1:13.0	Susie Lishman.
1:14.0	Well, for centuries, it wasn't allowed at all.
1:18.0	It was against people's religion or against their cultural beliefs.
1:21.0	Certainly, it wasn't seen as something that was desirable.
1:24.6	Over the years, for example, post-mortem has been used as part of the punishment that criminals
1:29.7	have.
1:30.7	So if they were executed, for example, perhaps their body would then be donated for
	...

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