Transplantation
Modern medicine continues to offer many miracles that lengthen the life spans of humans, as well as greatly increase the quality of life that they enjoy. If one were to draw up a "top ten" list of technical feats, surely the ability to successfully transplant an entire organ from one human to another would be high on the list. Transplantation can be defined as the transfer of cells, tissues, or organs from one site in an individual to another, or between two individuals. In the latter case, the individual who provides the transplant organ is termed a donor, and the individual receiving the transplant is known as the recipient. The science of transplant biology has, in fact, become a victim of its own success, in that the demand for organs exceeds the supply of donors.
Types of Transplants
There are four basic types of transplants, which reflect the genetic relationship of the recipient to the donor. The autograft is the transfer of tissue from one location of an individual's body to another location that is in need of healthy tissue; in other words, the recipient is also the donor. Common examples of autografts are skin transplants in burn patients and bypass surgery in patients suffering from coronary heart disease.
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