# 108-year old human liver and other long-lived body parts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/108-year-old-human-liver-and-other-long-lived-body-parts/991212>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 6, 2023, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/108-year-old-human-liver-and-other-long-lived-body-parts/991212 "2023-10-06T22:37:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/108-year-old-human-liver-and-other-long-lived-body-parts/991212/21 "2023-10-10T13:37:09Z")

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> [@Hari\_Seldon](#):
>
> Could a liver be sliced and used for several recipients?

Looks like hepatic division for two transplant recipients is [typical practice](https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-treatments/l/liver-transplant/types/split-liver-transplant.html#:~:text=In%20this%20procedure%2C%20a%20single,liver%20(the%20left%20lobe)).

Further slicing is when Dr. Lecter is having [a dinner party](http://wasabiprime.blogspot.com/2015/06/omg-recipe-cookin-liver-with-hannibal.html).

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**Author:** ![Artfog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/artfog/32/1011_2.png) [@Artfog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artfog)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/108-year-old-human-liver-and-other-long-lived-body-parts/991212/22 "2023-10-11T04:02:22Z")

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I’ve heard stories of very old transplanted corneas such as this one from 2008 about a cornea that pre-dates the Eiffel Tower:

> **[Transplanted cornea in use for record 123 years](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-norway-eye-idUSTRE49M6BL20081023)**
>
> Bernt Aune's transplanted cornea has been in use for a record 123 years -- since before the Eiffel Tower was built.

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/108-year-old-human-liver-and-other-long-lived-body-parts/991212/23 "2023-10-11T04:14:18Z")

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> [@gkster](#):
>
> Slight hijack, the ancient Greeks might have somehow known that the liver regenerates. The punishment of Prometheus was to have his liver torn out by an eagle; at night it would grow back and the eagle would return and tear it out again the next day.

My father was a liver doctor and taught at a medical school. He got my brother to draw a picture of Prometheus and the eagle, which my father used in his classes. He believed the Greeks knew that the liver grows back.

> [@hajario](#):
>
> My wag is that most people get a liver younger than they are.

The typical liver donor is a young man who didn’t wear a helmet when he was out on his motorcycle. So yeah, probably.

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/108-year-old-human-liver-and-other-long-lived-body-parts/991212/24 "2023-10-11T04:40:03Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> The typical liver donor is a young man who didn’t wear a helmet when he was out on his motorcycle. So yeah, probably.

In her case the young male donor was on a bicycle but yeah

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