opnet [OpNet] Organ donation.

[Wakinyan]

I was asked today by some science think tank that I should consider donating my organs to science if I should die. Considering I cannot really donate them to others it would make sense and they told me it would be a service to other Novas in the future if I did so.

Have any of you considered donating your body to science or live organ donation? I have to think that any human looking Nova that can heal quickly or even regenerate would be asked to donate organs all the time.

Anyone done so?

[Sakurako Hino]

No.

There might be incompatibilities going form a Nova to a Human body... or I may have such incompatibilities.

I mean, they can't use Eufiber in my body for medical treatments because I'm allergic to it. So, there may be other chemical imbalances that might make such a thing impossible.

Sorry to say it, but my funeral arrangements are for a cremation. A full cremation.

[kestrel404]

Many of the horomones that are common to novas would have adverse effects in baselines. Plus, nova physiology tends to be divergent in a fair percentage of our population, even those who aren't visibly aberrated.

There are so many unique issues with live organ donation from novas that it's a lot easier just to make do with the current supply of baseline organs. You could probably make it work with a small number of specific novas, but as a general concept there are too many variables to try it on a wide scale.

Plus, who would really be willing to donate their still-beating heart?

As for giving my body to science, I already have. Most of my best creations have come from the careful study of my own body and my node's capabilities.

[Jager]

I am wondering about organ compatibility nova-to-nova. Any ideas?

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Nova immune systems are different than baselines; they are much more active and reactive. Thus novas tend to not get sick (etc). This also means nova organ donation is a problem even if the organs were going to be given to other novas. Worse, baseline immune suppression drugs don’t work on novas.

On top of that there is normally less need for organ “donation” among novas. Ignoring the odd exception, the nova metabolism can regenerate things like nerves etc. In general a nova either dies of his injuries or they heal… and this is before you figure in regeneration and nova healers, which novas tend to have more access to than baselines.

And this ignores issues with toxicity, different organs, etc.

I don’t know of anyone who is seriously researching nova to nova organ transplanting, and nova to baseline transplants are years away if ever.