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Living Donation


Living donation of an organ is the best possible scenario: both the organ donor and recipient remain alive and well after the procedure! In Harvesting Organs and Cherishing Life, we told the story of a mother who donated a kidney to her daughter, but living donation is possible between unrelated people as well. Any organ except the heart can come from a living donor, as well as tissues such as blood, bone marrow, or skin. And a totally implantable artificial heart is currently in clinical trials. Living donation is an ethical transplant option as long as no one is coerced.
"Tissue"
The medical definition of “tissue” is a group or layer of similar cells that together perform a specialized function. Examples would include skin, bone, corneas, and fat.
"Organ"
Organs are complex collections of tissues that work together as a unit to perform a particular function. Examples would include heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs.
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