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‘It’s the year of the body’ at Philly’s Franklin Institute. ‘Body Worlds: Vital’ is on display through Sept. 1

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The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit will occupy roughly 20,000 square feet of space at the Franklin Institute through Sept. 1. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

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The human body and the impacts of physical and mental health are on full display during a traveling exhibit taking up residence at the Franklin Institute through Sept. 1.

Body Worlds: Vital” opened this weekend, occupying roughly 20,000 square feet of space at the science museum and showcasing the complexity of health and how daily choices impact our bodies.

“There is something in this exhibit for everyone,” said Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the institute.

The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
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With 20 full-sized human plastinates, or bodies preserved for science, people will get up-close looks at internal organs, blood vessels and broken bones healed through surgical procedures.

“These are real bodies that have gone through a process to be able to be displayed. And over 150 other specimens take you deeper inside the human body,” Dubinski said.

The traveling exhibit connects museumgoers to the permanent “Body Odyssey” exhibition, which includes the heart centerpiece that’s been at the institute since 1954.

The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Capillaries and blood vessels within the human body will be on display at the ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

“That’s why that connection is so strong. It’s the year of the body here at the Franklin Institute,” Dubinski said.

Tickets for “Body Worlds: Vital,” which includes museum admission, start at $47. The Franklin Institute is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Franklin Institute President and CEO Larry Dubinski showcases one of the interactive elements of the ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Capillaries and blood vessels within the human body will be on display at the ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Internal organs impacted from heavy tobacco use are on display at the ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Capillaries and blood vessels within the human body will be on display at the ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
''The Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit at the Franklin Institute features 20 plastinates, providing visitors up-close looks at internal organs at the various systems residing in the human body. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
The ''Body Worlds: Vital'' exhibit will occupy roughly 20,000 square feet of space at the Franklin Institute through Sept. 1. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

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