Arterial perfusion (embalming) used by animal technicians for preparing animal study cadavers for veterinary practical classes

The first requirement for embalming or tissue-fixation is to rapidly interrupt the dynamic processes of the cell, which after death will result in autolysis, and prepare the protoplasmic structures with a minimum of distortion. The processes of fixation transform colloids and semifluid gels by coagulation into a rigid and insoluble framework which then permits further studies to be conducted at the cellular level (if necessary) as required. Different types of fixatives have been designed to enhance individual intracellular characteristics, but unfortunately most fixatives cannot retain all lipids, carbohydrates and salts during eh perfusion process. Thus when the preserving fluid enters the arterial system of an animal and is forcibly perfused throughout the tissue, chemical fixation rapidly takes place and the entire body (including organs) is transformed into a state whereby dissection and cellular examination can be conducted as necessary.