Veterinarians at Colorado State University have invented
artificial animal body parts that look, feel, and even bleed
like real skin so that veterinary students can hone their
surgical skills before operating on live patients. According to
the university, the artificial replicas of sections of animal
bodies, such as an abdominal wall, give students at the school's
teaching hospital a realistic, hands-on learning environment
that bridges the gap between classroom lectures and procedures.
In order to give students the most life-like experience
possible, the artificial tissues are made of layers of silicone
that closely simulate skin, connective tissue, and muscle. Some
models are even colored realistically; for instance, the brown-
skinned abdominal wall of a horse with white layers and red
layers representing muscles and tissues. “Blood vessels” are
built into the silicone and realistically placed, sized, and
connected to an artificial blood source that supplies the tissue
with realistic bleeding. Students prac