Trafficking of human organs
Trafficking of organs in general:
18 people die every day because they are waiting for an organ from a donor. Today, 121,264 people are waiting for an organ. Because organs are of such value, people started to take advantage of it. The illegal trafficking of human organs is a quick way to earn a lot of money at once.
Trafficking in organs is a crime that occurs in three broad categories. Firstly, there are cases where traffickers force or deceive the victims into giving up an organ. Secondly, there are cases where victims formally or informally agree to sell an organ and are cheated because they are not paid for the organ or are paid less than the promised price. Thirdly, vulnerable persons are treated for an ailment, which may or may not exist and thereupon organs are removed without the victim's knowledge. Organs which are commonly traded are kidneys, liver and the like; any organ which can be removed and used, could be the subject of such illegal trade. Organs are worth a big sum of money. A pair of eyeballs for instance, is worth around 1.525 US Dollars, a liver is worth around 157.000 US Dollars and a heart 119.000 US Dollars. A kidney is worth the most, 262.000 US Dollars.
Transplantation of organs in history:
Organ transplantations have been around since the second century and most likely even before that. Ancient Greek, Roman and Chinese myths feature fanciful accounts of transplants performed by gods and healers, often involving cadavers or animals. While these tales are considered questionable, by 800 B.C. Indian doctors had likely begun grafting skin—technically the largest organ—from one part of the body to another to repair wounds and burns. The skin transplantation how we know it today, actually started in the sixteenth century. Italian surgeon Gasparo Tagliacozzi, sometimes known as the father of plastic surgery, reconstructed noses and ears using skin from patients’ arms. He found that skin from a different...