THE VISIBLE BODY: New software visualizes the human body using sophisticated computer graphics to show how more than 1,700 anatomical structures--including major organs and systems--work together.
Courtesy of Argosy Publishing

Offering more depth (literally) than any anatomy textbook can deliver, the Visible Body is a Web-based 3-D interactive model of the human body available free to students, educators and health and medical professionals. The software, developed by Newton, Mass.-based Argosy Publishing, visualizes the human body using sophisticated computer graphics to show how more than 1,700 anatomical structures--including major organs and systems--work together.

The images at times isolate different organs or body parts to enhance their clarity, which is useful when studying anatomy or explaining an injury. The software, downloaded using Internet Explorer with Macromedia Flash and Anark Client plug-ins, allows the images to be rotated in a 3-D, 360-degree view. Future versions of the software are expected to include different human models as well as medical pathology and therapy information, so that consumers can get a deeper understanding of their conditions and available treatments.

Click on our slideshow to view some of the Visible Body's images.