By Jeff Hofmann
Every week, Tanya Pountney uncovers dead bodies in the Widtsoe Building.
Pountney is not an early-morning janitor discovering police beat material. She is the dissection coordinator in the anatomy lab and uses cadavers to teach students about the human body.
'You don''t realize how much stuff is in the body until you see it first-hand,' Pountney said. 'It''s really amazing.'
BYU''s anatomy lab includes seven cadavers that are used for lab instruction in Zoology 260 and 360 classes, she said. Pountney said the physical education department also has two cadavers used in functional anatomy classes.
The cadavers are a valuable resource to anatomy students.
'You can''t learn as well just by looking at pictures in a book,' said Heather Christianson, 22, a senior from San Jose, Calif., majoring in dietetics.
Christianson, who took Zoology 260 last year, said her anatomy books are good but cannot replace hands-on experience with real human bodies.
Kerry Peterson, director of the University of Utah Body Donor Program, agrees.
'A person may be book smart, but without the body to study, you really know nothing about how the body is put together,' Peterson said. 'That kind of information can''t be gleaned from a book.'
Last year, 95 bodies were donated to the University of Utah, Peterson said.
The cadavers are donated to BYU for two years, Pountney said. After that time, the university covers the $1,150 cost for preparation and cremation, and the remains are then returned to the family, she said.
Zoology 360 students dissect the cadavers, a process that takes about six months, Pountney said.
The students remove the fatty tissues to expose the structures used in class demonstrations, she said.
Having access to cadavers is beneficial for students, but there are also some drawbacks.
'It smells,' Christianson said, referring to the chemicals used in the embalming process.
Preserving the bodies is necessary but sometimes not very pleasant, said Amber Wright, 20, a sophomore from Ft. Collins, Colo., majoring in human biology.
'It''s kind of gross because if you handle them too much your hand stinks the rest of the day,' Wright said.
For some, the smell is not the only problem.
'My roommate and I couldn''t eat meat the whole semester, especially tuna, because it looked like the muscles,' Christianson said.
But both Christianson and Wright say the unique learning opportunity makes any temporary discomfort worthwhile.
Wright said she is grateful people donate their bodies so students can learn from them.
'The human body is God''s greatest creation,' she said.