# Bodyoids - Growing human bodies for parts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodyoids-growing-human-bodies-for-parts/1016274>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 28, 2025, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodyoids-growing-human-bodies-for-parts/1016274 "2025-03-28T22:35:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodyoids-growing-human-bodies-for-parts/1016274/1 "2025-03-28T22:35:31Z")

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I came across this article about growing ‘spare’ human bodies with no brains to provide organs for transplant, and possibly to use in medical experiments.

> **[Ethically sourced “spare” human bodies could revolutionize medicine](https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/25/1113611/ethically-sourced-spare-human-bodies-could-revolutionize-medicine/)**
>
> Human “bodyoids” could reduce animal testing, improve drug development, and alleviate organ shortages.

I don’t believe this will actually be happening anytime soon. It would require advances in multiple areas: cloning humans, gestation outside the uterus, preventing development of the brain and keeping a body alive without one, and dramatically increasing growth rates so you don’t have to wait 15 years for your new organ. But the ethics are an interesting question. Currently humans born lacking most of their brain (anencephaly) are still legally people. So are those in a coma. ‘Bodyoids’ might be considered similar to either of these. They would look mostly human and be made of human cells (potentially of your own cloned cells, if you were the one needing an organ transplant). It’s a disturbing idea however you look at it.

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodyoids-growing-human-bodies-for-parts/1016274/2 "2025-03-28T22:44:12Z")

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Eh, a human with a _sufficiently_ damaged brain is considered brain dead and can be harvested for organs; this is just the same idea done on purpose. It just bothers people because of Hollywood sensationalism, and because it postulates something human _looking._ A vat full of randomly floating organs wouldn’t bother people the same way, despite being just as “human”.