Have you ever wondered what ovulation looks like from the viewpoint of the egg? Or wished you could cruise along the lymphatic system through a tangled web of capillaries? Now, your childhood dreams of having Ms. Frizzle for a teacher can be (practically) fulfilled: A new interactive Web site called Visible Body is the Magic School Bus of the 21st century. The psychedelic site just launched on Tuesday, and is the first free (with registration), Web-based, 3D interactive model of the human body. The site includes eye-popping videos and images, including the screenshots posted here.
According to the website, Visible Body is "the most complete, highly detailed, and anatomically accurate human body model available...designed to deliver the level of detail necessary to teach a college-level Anatomy and Physiology course." The images really are stunning and the user interface is easy to use—you can rotate the body in every direction, zoom in, peel away layers of tissue without feeling sadistic, and even isolate individual structures (got a favorite synovial joint)? Currently the body is female, but a male is in development (and no, there are no G-rated versions—yet). .
Oh, and sorry to all the Mac users (video), but you need a PC with Windows XP or better to run the Body. All images courtesy of Argosy Publishing
