How can doctors create body parts?

Creation from scratch!

Nobody is perfect, and there’s always some space for shortcomings. One may have something more than the other, whereas some are rendered lesser than their peers.

Though it is a very common notion, there are some instances where people, unfortunately, face this incompleteness in their lives physically as well, which heavily impacts their very existence. For instance, some people may have a physical shortcoming if they have been born without a certain body part or might have lost one in an accident or through an illness.

Although it feels really unfortunate on their part, nevertheless there’s a possibility in the field of advanced medical sciences in creating these missing body parts.

Excited to know? Keep reading!

Often a person may be born without certain body parts, or may have lost one in an accident or through the counter effect of an illness. These missing body parts could be some organs or even an entire body part such as an arm or a leg.

It makes the situation quite helpless and depressing, but with advancements in modern medical sciences, it is possible to create new body parts in their place. While these would be certainly artificial and made from durable and flexible materials, these parts are equally efficient in completing the shortcomings.

Methods of creation of body parts

There are broadly two manners in which these can be done.  Doctors can sometimes perform the procedure of  Transplant, wherein the affected organ of one individual is replaced with an organ from another healthy and compatible individual. The organ used in transplanting is often those that are donated by fellow individuals who decide this step for themselves in good faith and charity.

The other way is specifically directed towards impairment due to a completely missing body part such as an arm or leg. In these cases, while transplantation is not a suitable way however the doctors create these artificially using lightweight and durable materials. These are known as Prosthetics.

Prosthetic Limbs

Made from an artificial material called ‘Carbon Fiber‘, these are a near equivalent replacement for the missing arm or leg. This material is hugely flexible, unbreakable and strongly durable for a long time. It enhances the person’s movements just as normally as a real limb would do. This has been mostly used by athletes, who overcame their physical disability through this and returned to their field of activity.

Bionic Arm

A great marvel of a culmination of science and technology in the medical sphere, the Bionic Arm is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable types of artificial arm created to help patients with arm disability. It is essentially an electrical arm, which is connected to the muscles of the individual’s arm. These muscles in their normal course receive signals from the brain and the bionic arm responds to these signals through proper movement.

Dentures

With age or as a result of an accident/illness or deficiency, some people may lose their teeth. So for their replacement, false teeth or dentures become a useful tool. These are usually created of plastic or nylon, and appear exactly like the real teeth. They can be easily attached to the gum of the person, and fit in exactly like real ones.

What’s more advanced is that these can be easily removed back again for cleaning purposes, and then refitted accordingly.

Pacemaker

In some instances, the human heart may become ineffective in pumping blood and may not do its job properly. While this may cause an alarming situation since it increases the chances of heart failure, there’s a way to cure it as well.

In these cases, the doctors may fit a small metallic machine called a Pacemaker. It helps to send out a small electric current to the heart to pump blood at the desired time, thereby enhancing the heart’s capability to pump blood at all times.

Fun Facts

• There are some organs like the liver, whose cells can help it to regrow back naturally, even if it misses out on a significant portion of its size!
• Human skin is also replaced naturally since human beings are able to regrow their skin after a certain period of shedding them!

Related questions

Some related questions to this topic.

1. How can a person donate their organs to help people?
2. Is there any organ in the human body without which a person can live their lives?
3. Which place in the world is renowned for prosthetic surgeries?

Objective Quiz

Here are some questions you’d like to answer to test your knowledge.

Dentures are:

• Removable
• Made of plastic or nylon
• Perfectly fitted to the gums
• All of the above

Pacemaker helps to :

• Make the heart beat
• Avoid heart attacks
• Ensure it pumps blood in the correct time

The prosthetic leg will help athletes:

• Run
• Make movement
• Both
• None

The bionic arm is fitted to the:

• Muscles
• Fingers
• Elbows
• Wrists

The organ that can regrow back in the human body:

• Lungs
• Kidney
• Liver
• Bladder

True Or False

1. Dentures can be made of wood. (True/False)
2. Prosthetics is a successful way of replacing missing body parts. (True/False)
3. The material used to make Prosthetic limbs is Plastic. (True/False)
4. Transplant procedures essentially replace affected organ from one body with a healthy organ of another body. (True/False)
5. A pacemaker is a large tube fitted near the heart. (True/False)