A Journey Through the Human Body

Be immersed in this exciting journey and learn about human beings, from their inner workings to their relationship with other living creatures. Compare our anatomy to that of other vertebrates—it is surprising how much we have in common.

It is not the size of our skulls that make us more or less intelligent than other animals, but the volume of the brain and its convolutions.

The Ecosphere is a small ecosystem in a hermetically sealed container, where the only external input is light. Three very different organisms live together in forced cooperation: decomposers (bacteria), producers (microalgae), and consumers.

Blood transports oxygen and nutrients through the arteries to all the cells in the body and carries carbon dioxide and waste products via the veins. It also transports our defenses, hormones, and other vital substances.

The right half of the human heart receives deoxygenated blood from cells and tissues and pumps it into the lungs. The left half receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and sends it to our cells and tissues. 

The human heart weighs approximately nine ounces and is capable of pumping one gallon of blood per minute. The heart of a whale like the one we have here measures 5 x 4 x 4 feet and weighs 400 pounds, and pumps 50 gallons of blood per minute.

They cut, tear, and shred… No, we are not talking about a ferocious industrial machine—we're talking about our teeth! The chewing done by our 32 teeth, with the help of saliva and our tongue, is the first stage of digestion.

Water is life. Our cells need it to live, our blood needs it to flow, and our body needs it to regulate our temperature. On average, it accounts for 65% of our total body weight.

The embryos of this tropical fish and frog are transparent, and so we can see how their organs form within a few hours. These animals are made of millions of cells that originate from just one (the fertilized egg), and can help us understand human development.

The gestation period in humans is about 40 weeks, not too long, for example, when compared with that of elephants which lasts 88 weeks, one of the longest in the animal kingdom.

How would you hold a sheet of paper in your hand? You'd crumple it up, right? This is exactly what happens to the cerebral cortex. The grooves and ridges of the cerebral cortex make up our "brain fingerprint."

Our brains emit electromagnetic waves: Alpha waves if we are relaxed and Beta waves if we are in a state of alert. They work almost like musical notes, capable of creating a balanced harmony when our thoughts and emotions are in sync.

We have taken a single lumbar vertebra from one of the vertebrates that you see here in our collection. Its anatomy is similar to ours, consisting of a bony mass with a hole, which houses and protects the spinal cord. You can also see some protrusions, which are used to pull the muscles that produce movement.

In this laboratory, objects related to life sciences and health are described and inventoried, and collections are prepared and preserved using various techniques such as fluid preservation, dry preservation, freeze-drying, resin, Dawson's method, and plastination.

Vertebrae form the spinal column. During childhood we have 33 vertebrae (7 cervical + 12 thoracic + 5 lumbar + 5 sacral + 4 coccyx), while in adulthood the number decreases as the bones in the sacrum and coccyx begin to fuse.

This is a preservation method carried out using a freeze-dryer. Frozen samples are vacuum-packed and dehydrated, converting frozen water into a gaseous state (sublimation). This process removes water, preventing microorganisms from growing.

Sachet soups and some fruit and vegetable snacks are sold freeze-dried. This allows them to retain their vitamins and nutrients for longer.  

In the laboratory, organs and living things are preserved using a modern process called plastination. In this process, liquids and soluble fats are extracted using solvents and are then replaced with elastic polymers, such as silicone, polyester resin, or epoxy resin.