The '''Visible Human Project''' is an effort to create a detailed U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) under the direction of Michael J. Ackerman. Planning began in 1989; the data set of the male was completed in November 1994 and the one of the female in November 1995. The project can be viewed today at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, DC.  There are currently efforts to repeat this project with higher resolution images but only with parts of the body instead of a cadaver.

== Data ==
The male cadaver was encased and frozen in a gelatin and water mixture in order to stabilize the specimen for cutting.  The specimen was then “cut” in the axial plane at 1 millimeter intervals.  Each of the resulting 1,871 “slices” were photographed in both analog and digital, yielding 15 gigabytes of data. In 2000, the photos were rescanned at a higher resolution, yielding more than 65 gigabytes.  The female cadaver was cut into slices at .33 millimeter intervals, resulting in some 40 gigabytes of data.

The term “cut” is a bit of a misnomer, yet it is used to describe the process of grinding away the top surface of a specimen at regular intervals.  The term “slice,” also a misnomer, refers to the revealed surface of the specimen to be photographed; the process of grinding the surface away is entirely destructive to the specimen and leaves no usable or preservable “slice” of the cadaver.

The data is supplemented by axial sections of the whole body obtained by computed tomography, axial sections of the head and neck obtained by magnetic resonance imaging, and coronal sections of the rest of the body also obtained by magnetic resonance imaging.

The scanning, slicing and photographing took place at the University of Colorado's Health Sciences Center, where additional cutting of anatomical specimens continues to take place.

== Donors ==
The male cadaver is from Joseph Paul Jernigan, a 38-year-old Texas murderer who was executed by lethal injection on August 5, 1993. At the prompting of a prison chaplain he had agreed to donate his body for scientific research or medical use, without knowing about the Visible Human Project. Some people have voiced ethical concerns over this. One of the most notable statements came from the University of Vienna which demanded that the images be withdrawn with reference to the point that the medical profession should have no association with executions, and that the donor's informed consent could be scrutinised.<ref> Roeggla G., U. Landesmann and M. Roeggla: ''Ethics of executed person on Internet''. [Letter]. Lancet. 28. January 1995; 345(0):260. </ref> 

The female donor, 59-year-old, remains anonymous. In the press she has been described as a Maryland housewife who died from a heart attack and whose husband requested that she be part of the project.

== Problems with the data sets ==
Freezing caused the brain of the man to be slightly swollen, and his inner ear ossicles were lost during preparation of the slices. Nerves are hard to make out since they have almost the same color as fat, but many have nevertheless been idenfitifed. Small blood vessels were collapsed by the freezing process.  Tendons are difficult to cut cleanly, and they occasionally smear across the slice surfaces. 

The male has only one testicle, is missing his appendix, and has tissue deterioration at the site of lethal injection. 

The reproductive organs of the woman are not representative of those of a young woman.  The specimen contains several pathologies, including cardiovascular disease and diverticulitis.

thumb|right|Logo der National Library of Medicine

Das '''Visible Human Project''' ist ein Projekt mit dem Ziel, auf der Basis von Querschnitten kompletter menschlicher Körper detaillierte Daten für die Spendern eingefroren und in dünne Scheiben geschnitten, die fotografiert und digitalisiert wurden. Das Projekt gehört zur amerikanischen Washington, DC dokumentiert.

== Datengewinnung ==

=== Herkunft der Körper ===

thumb|right|Bild aus dem Visible Human Project: Gefrierschnitt durch den Kopf eines Mannes

Für den männlichen Körper erklärte sich Joseph Paul Jernigan zur Körperspende für wissenschaftliche Zwecke bereit. Jernigan war 38 Jahre alt und ein in Mörder, der am 5. August 1993 durch die hingerichtet wurde. Seine Bereitschaft zur Spende erklärte er auf Anfrage des Gefängnispfarrers, ohne allerdings konkret von einer Verwendung für das Visible Human Project zu wissen. Von einigen Seiten sind diesbezüglich ethische Bedenken geäußert worden.

Die Spenderin des weiblichen Körpers, eine 59-jährige Frau, blieb anonym. In der Presse wurde sie als Hausfrau aus Herzinfarkt verstorben sei. Diesen Angaben zufolge stammt der Vorschlag, ihren Körper für das Projekt zu verwenden, von ihrem Ehemann.

=== Technische Aspekte ===

thumb|right|Bild aus dem Visible Human Project: Gefrierschnitt durch den Bauchraum eines Mannes

Der männliche Körper wurde gefroren und anhand eines Intervalls von einem Millimeter in 1871 axiale Schnitte zerlegt. Diese wurden fotografiert, die Bilder wurden anschließend digitalisiert. Das gesamte Datenvolumen aller Bilder, die jeweils eine Auflösung von 2048x1216&nbsp;Pixeln in 24&nbsp;Bit Farbtiefe haben, beträgt 15 Gigabyte. Im August 2000 wurden Daten mit einer höheren Auflösung zur Verfügung gestellt. Dazu wurden Fotos von Teilausschnitten der Körperschnitte mit einer Auflösung von 4096x2700 Pixeln digitalisiert und entsprechend zusammengesetzt. Daraus ergibt sich ein Datenvolumen von 65 Gigabyte. Der weibliche Körper wurde in einem Intervall von 0,33 Millimetern geschnitten, woraus sich 5189 Schnitte und 40 Gigabyte Daten ergaben.

Zusätzlich wurden mittels Universität von Colorado statt.

=== Probleme und Entdeckungen ===