DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH  
COMMUNITY PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY  
ANATOMICAL GIFTS  
(By authority conferred on the department of public health by sections 2226(d),  
2233, 2659, and 2678 of Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, as amended, and  
section 9 of Act No. 380 of the Public Acts of 1965, as amended, being SS333.2226(d),  
333.2233, 333.2659, 333.2678, and 16.109 of the Michigan Compiled Laws)  
R 325.951 Definitions.  
Rule 1. (1) As used in these rules:  
(a) "Board" means the anatomy board created by section 2651 of the code.  
(b) "Body" means a dead human body, or part thereof, which is subject to these rules  
and which is located within this state.  
(c) "Code" means Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, as amended, being  
S333.1101 et seq. of the Michigan Compiled Laws.  
(d) "Donated body" or "willed body" means a body given as a gift according to  
the indication of the decedent or by a member of the authorized class of persons  
associated with the decedent.  
(e) "Educational use of a body" means the use of a body as a tool to help impart  
knowledge and understanding of the human body to medical, dental, and other  
medical- and health-related students.  
(f) "Embalm" means to protect a body from unwanted deterioration processes  
in accordance with its use until its final disposition.  
(g) "Receiving a body" means the acceptance of the responsibility to preserve and  
store a body, dispose of a body, and keep records of a body according to the code and  
these rules.  
(h) "Receiving institution" means the university of Michigan, Michigan state  
university, or Wayne state university.  
(i) "Scientific use of a body" means the use of a body in the production,  
advancement, and dissemination of knowledge and understanding that will ultimately  
benefit mankind through study and research, such as investigations into any of the  
following:  
(A) Structure.  
(B) Growth.  
(C) Development.  
(D) Malformations.  
(E) Bio-mechanics.  
(F) Human tolerances to forces.  
(G) Kinematics.  
(H) Kinesiology.  
(I) Functions.  
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(J) Human responses.  
(K) Diseases.  
(L) Illnesses.  
(M) Injuries.  
(N) Pathology.  
(O) Preservation.  
(P) Surgical procedures and techniques.  
(Q) Dental procedures and techniques.  
(R) Other related activities. The phrase does not include use of a body for therapy  
and transplantation.  
(2) Unless the context requires otherwise, terms and phrases defined in the code  
have the same meaning when used in these rules.  
History: 1981 AACS.  
R 325.952 Applicability.  
Rule 2. These rules apply to all bodies or parts of bodies designated for  
educational and scientific use and govern the allocation of the bodies or parts by the  
board to hospitals and educational institutions requiring them for use in medical  
instruction or for the purpose of instruction, study, and use in the promotion of  
education in the health sciences within this state.  
History: 1981 AACS.  
R 325.953 Bodies designated for educational and scientific use.  
Rule 3. (1) A body subject to these rules shall be reported in writing to the board by  
the receiving institution in the next annual report required by the board. The report  
shall include the number of bodies received, their categorizations, their uses, and their  
final dispositions.A body subject to these rules shall be preserved and stored using  
methods approved by the board and, unless specifically indicated otherwise by the  
person donating the body, shall be received by members of the board at the university of  
Michigan, Michigan state university, or Wayne state university.  
(2) When a body is donated to a receiving institution, it shall be received by, and  
be the responsibility of, that institution, unless special arrangements are made by that  
institution for the body to be received elsewhere. The anatomy department of each  
receiving institution may establish criteria for acceptance of bodies with the approval of  
the board.  
(3) A receiving institution shall keep complete records of bodies in its charge and  
shall make the records available to the board at any time upon request. If the information  
is available, the records shall include all of the following:  
(a) The date of receipt.  
(b) Identification number.  
(c) Name, age, religion, sex, race, and place of last residence.  
(d) Cause of death.  
(e) Physical condition upon receipt, including whether whole or autopsied.  
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(f) Preservation method.  
(g) Use.  
(h) Usage location.  
(i) Disposition.  
(j) Date of disposition.  
(4) Bodies donated for the purpose of anatomical study shall be used for educational  
and scientific purposes.  
(5) Before research is performed on any dead embryo, fetus or neonate, the consent  
of the mother shall be obtained in accordance with the provisions of part 101 of the  
code.  
(6) Transportation of a body shall be by a vehicle equipped for such use. The  
body shall be carried on a covered cart or in a specifically designed suitable container  
so that it is not exposed to public view while  
in transportation. Not more than 1 whole body shall be placed on 1 cart or in 1  
container and whole bodies shall not be stacked one on top of another without adequate  
external supports between them.  
(7) Final disposition of the remains of a body shall be by cremation, unless  
reclaimed by relatives of the deceased through a funeral director.  
History: 1981 AACS.  
R 325.954 Unclaimed bodies.  
Rule 4. (1) Each member of the board from receiving institutions that regularly  
receive bodies shall be assigned an area of the state by the board to request and receive  
unclaimed bodies from institutions in that area. These assignments shall be reviewed  
periodically.  
(2) Member institutions of the board shall have the option of annually requesting in  
writing to be notified of unclaimed bodies from state or public institutions having such  
bodies in their assigned areas of the state.  
(3) An unclaimed body shall be held embalmed for a 30-day waiting period from the  
date of receipt by the representative of the board before being used. After the waiting  
period, an unclaimed body shall be treated the same as any other body at the receiving  
institution.  
(4) Any individual or institution authorizing an autopsy on an unclaimed body under  
section 2661 of the code shall be solely responsible for the disposal, cremation, or  
burial of the body at its own expense as though it had requested the body, if the body has  
been requested by, or is to be made available to, the board.  
History: 1981 AACS.  
R 325.955 Requests for, and distribution of, bodies.  
Rule 5. (1) Written requests for bodies for educational uses from teaching  
institutions, hospitals, or persons other than members of the board shall be evaluated  
by a member of the board according to procedures and standards established by the  
board. If approved, appropriate bodies shall be dispatched. In evaluating requests, the  
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board shall consider the educational standing of the requesting institution, the teaching  
staff, the number of students to be accommodated, and the character of the  
educational experience to be offered. The board shall require the submission of a  
definite proposal for the use of the bodies and a prospectus of the course in which  
the bodies are to be used.  
(2) Written requests for bodies for scientific uses from institutions not represented  
on the board shall be evaluated by a member of the board after a detailed proposal  
outlining the precise uses of the bodies has been submitted to the board. If approved,  
appropriate bodies shall be dispatched. Those requests for bodies approved in this  
manner shall be reviewed at the next meeting of the board.  
(3) Before a body or parts of bodies are dispatched, the requesting institution or  
person shall have facilities for the storage and handling of the bodies or body parts  
which are acceptable to the board.  
(4) Bodies may be transferred between receiving institutions with the agreement of  
the respective board members without contacting the full board.  
(5) For purposes of distribution to approved institutions and persons, the value of a  
body shall be determined by the expenses incurred plus the proportionate cost of the  
materials, labor, and overhead, as determined by the receiving institution.  
(6) Bodies that have been distributed by a receiving institution shall be the sole  
responsibility of that institution, including final disposition of the bodies.  
(7) If the supply of bodies within the state is inadequate to meet the approved  
demands, the board shall decide how to allocate the available bodies in a manner that  
will best meet the essential needs of the state.  
(8) Teaching needs of undergraduate medical and dental courses shall have  
priority over other demands for bodies.  
History: 1981 AACS.  
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