The anatomy of the arf

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Imagine your family dog. Now imagine your family dog with his skin peeled back, exposing a dense network of capillaries in blazing blood red. Creepy? Yes. Captivating? Absolutely.

From the creator of the original controversial “Body Worlds” nearly two decades ago, “Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out” at the Franklin Institute is an anatomical safari of more than 100 specimens.

On display through April 12 in Philadelphia, the exhibition offers exceptional access to the skeletons, muscles, organs and circulatory systems of some of our favorite animal friends.

“That’s a rabbit?” one visitor marveled recently. “I thought that was a monster.”

It’s a fairly common reaction, according to institute staff. They promise that no animal was harmed or killed for the exhibition. Deceased animals were donated by university veterinary programs, zoos and animal groups. The smattering of human parts — used mainly for comparison purposes — were given by the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany.

German anatomist Gunther von Hagens invented the plastination technique in 1977. He developed a vacuum process, replacing the body’s water, fat and assorted gunk with reactive plastics that harden to reveal innards in their majestic complexity.

Von Hagens launched the first “Body Worlds” in Tokyo in 1995. The traveling exhibition of human corpses has since visited more than 50 museums and venues worldwide, prompting complaints from religious leaders.

“Body Worlds” appeared at the Franklin Institute in 2006, shattering attendance records at the time. A second “Body Worlds” focused on the brain debuted in 2009.

A selection of animal specimens in the first “Body Worlds” were such a hit that Von Hagens and his team curated a collection for “Animal Inside Out.” Each specimen took an average of 1,500 hours to prepare for display.

From a reindeer fetus to a full-grown giraffe to a rarely seen giant squid, the exhibition underlines the similarities in anatomy and physiology among all living creatures. The goal is to promote respect and appreciation, according to Franklin Institute CEO Larry Dubinski.

“You’re really just in awe,” he says.

Visitors learn that nearly every part of a bird’s anatomy has evolved to aid flight, rat organs are packed most efficiently and the nervous system of a cat resembles angel hair pasta.

A gargantuan human thigh bone rests next to a snail, which, when alive, can travel a maximum speed of one mile a week. An almond-sized hare brain is compared to a walnut-sized cat brain and a mango-sized human brain. Brain size, the accompanying text reminds us, is not directly proportional to intelligence.

The exhibition closes with a plea for conservation, noting the estimated 1,300 species classified as endangered or threatened.

There are no age restrictions for “Animal Inside Out.” Parents should gauge whether their children can handle seeing a horse’s head sliced in half or the inner workings of a camel’s stomach.

Through Jan. 4, an associated exhibition, “Sesame Street Presents: The Body” is geared for children ages 2 to 7. It promotes healthy eating and good hygiene, featuring a giant sneeze machine.

But if you want to catch “Animal Inside Out,” you need to act fast. After it leaves the institute, it’s not expected to return to the U.S. And Dubinski doesn’t expect to host another Bodies-themed exhibition anytime soon.

Molly Barnes, a budding brain surgeon from Yardley, Pennsylvania, visited “Animal Inside Out” recently with her mother. At age 12, Barnes has dissected fish and frogs and swallowed oysters without getting queasy. She seemed impressed by nature’s minor miracles.

“I thought the cat’s brain would be a little bigger,” she said. “And the size of the bull’s testicles surprised me.”


“Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out” runs through April 12 at the Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., Philadelphia.

Daytime tickets (includes general admission to the institute) are $29.50 for adults and $22.50 for children 3 to 11. Evening tickets (admission to “Body Worlds” only after 5 p.m.) are $19.50 for adults and $15.50 for children. For more information, call (215) 448-1235 or visit


•The giraffe is the only animal that can regurgitate and chew while running.

•Large complex animals like humans have 60,000 miles of arterial highways that carry blood. If laid out in a straight line, it would circle the Earth twice.

•All mammals, from the shrew to the elephant, have the same number of heartbeats in a lifespan — roughly a billion.

•The horse’s stomach has a non-return valve, making it unable to vomit.

•A bull’s heart weights five pounds, five times heavier than the fist-size human heart.

•The only major difference between a sheep and a goat is that the sheep is limited to moving its tail horizontally, while a third muscle allows the goat to move vertically.

•The octopus is the smartest of the invertebrates, with the ability to remember colors and shapes.

•Most mammals have more than 600 skeletal muscles. But insects can have more than 1,800.

•Sharks actually have six senses. They can detect electrical activity given off by all living animals through jelly-filled pores around their heads.

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