# 2 Arrested @ UCLA Selling Cadaver Parts--Which Of Your Parts Would Fetch The Most $ ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081 "2004-03-08T04:56:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/1 "2004-03-08T04:56:19Z")
Sounds like quite a macabre scandal. [Two at UCLA Charged in Body Parts Probe:](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=753&e=1&u=/ap/20040308/ap_on_re_us/body_parts_probe) > [@](#): > > Two people, including the man who oversees the cadaver program at the University of California, Los Angeles, have been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of body parts from the school…Henry Reid, director of the UCLA program…was jailed on $20,000 bail and…Ernest Nelson was…jailed on $30,000 bail…The cadaver program receives about 175 bodies each year for medical research and education… It was just about 2 years ago that [crematorium scandal broke in Georgia](http://www.dailylobo.com/news/2002/02/18/News/Town-Uncovers.Cremation.Scandal-185883.shtml). In this new west coast case, once again it’s all about greed. It’s a disturbing story in which once again, the criminal mind continues to amaze. If someone I knew one of the pillaged cadavers, I’d be more than a little incensed. But seeing as I don’t, I guess I can ask: **If your cadaver was stripped for parts, which one’s would fetch the most amount of money?** Me, I never get sick so I assume most of my organs are marketable. My liver takes a little bit of a beating every now and again, so unless there was some old person buying it on the black market, I doubt it would be much of a bargain for a younger person. I don’t think my eyes are all that valuable either. I’m a little near-sighted and they’re a very ununique dark brown. But for someone who couldn’t see at all, I guess the old, ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ rule would be in effect, and they’d fetch at least $5 each. I’m gonna try & avoid guessing the value of any of my external parts (or reproductive organs)…but if I had to guess, I’d say my legs would would have the highest value. What about you? Seeing that you couldn’t prevent anyone from slicing you up while you’re on the slab in the morgue, which of your parts would be the first ones smuggled out in a beer cooler and sold out in the alley? ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/2 "2004-03-08T05:55:49Z")
I saw that headline, wondered what they were stealing. Thanks for clarifying that. As to your OP, I’d guess my arms and legs, which would fit your averge 6’ male (though I am only 5’9"). There’s nothing remarkable about the, but I figure there’s probably a decent market for working limbs these days. I suppose my brain could fetch a modest price as a novelty item… ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/3 "2004-03-08T06:47:10Z")
Well, most of my guts are in good order…except my digestive system, which has always been a bit twitchy. And my eyes are out of focus. And forget the brain…the serotonin production system’s shot, and there’s a short somewhere between the [basal ganglia and the orbital cortex.](http://campus.fortunecity.com/baked/106/obsessive.html) The hands are OK—except for the right hand little finger, the tip of which has received some “minor” impact damage—but the wrists are probably just this side of carpel tunnel syndrome. (Too much web surfing…and Natasha Henstridge movies.) The feet have had some work on 'em, so there shouldn’t be a risk of hangnails. Good arches on 'em, too. Bicep muscles are OK, but the Pectorals were never installed. The nostrils work, but tend to clog. But the beard works perfectly, and needs little maintinance. All teeth are in showroom condition, and the molars haven’t even erupted yet. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/4 "2004-03-10T01:34:28Z")
Pretty good teetth, only 3 cavities in 45 years. Damn fine brain, but prone to depression. Very good hearing. Very productive sweat glands High capacity bladder. I have very low cholesterol. What organ is responsible for that? Kidneys. liver? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/5 "2004-03-10T02:51:50Z")
Pound for pound, my brain would be by far the most expensive part of my body. Because they would have to kill a lot of mes to get a pound of brains. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/6 "2004-03-10T03:46:55Z")
There’s no telling how much someone would pay to get their hands on my sweet, sweet ass. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/7 "2004-03-10T05:56:09Z")
> [@Torgo](#): > > There’s no telling how much someone would pay to get their hands on my sweet, sweet ass. Well, e-bay won’t allow it - but you can try to auction it off [here](http://en.auxion.com/?lang=en) ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/8 "2004-03-10T11:56:47Z")
Hey, I got my most valuable part right here buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/9 "2004-03-10T18:45:36Z")
My eyes don’t work all that well, but I’m told they’re very pretty to look at. Maybe they’d make some fetching earrings or ben-wa balls. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/10 "2004-03-10T23:42:52Z")
As a UCLA alumnus, I can state that my LEAST valuable body part right now is my forehead. Because I’m banging it against a wall. “Why, oh why, does my school get all the embarrassing scandals?!?!” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-arrested-ucla-selling-cadaver-parts-which-of-your-parts-would-fetch-the-most/233081/11 "2004-03-10T23:58:41Z")
Eyes.