Organ Donation: MedlinePlus
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Organ donation takes healthy organs and tissues from one person for transplantationinto another. Experts say that the organs from one donor can save or help as many as 50 people. Organs you can donate include
Internal organs: Kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs
Skin
Bone and bone marrow
Cornea
Most organ and tissue donations occur after the donor has died. But some organs and tissues can be donated while the donor is alive.
People of all ages and background can be organ donors. If you are under age 18, your parent or guardian must give you permission to become a donor. If you are 18 or older you can show you want to be a donor by signing a donor card. You should also let your family know your wishes.
Health Resources and Services Administration
Related Topics
Blood Transfusion and Donation
Bone Marrow Transplantation
Heart Transplantation
Islet Cell Transplantation
Kidney Transplantation
Liver Transplantation
Lung Transplantation
Organ Transplantation
Pancreas Transplantation
Stem Cells
Transplantation and Donation
Start Here
Organ Donor FAQ's: Who Can Be a Donor(Health Resources and Services Administration)
Overviews
Becoming a Donor(Health Resources and Services Administration)
Giving the Gift of Life at the End of Life(American Osteopathic Association)
Organ Donation and Transplantation(Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
Latest News
Kidney Donation a Low-Risk Choice, Study Finds(02/11/2014, HealthDay)
Could People's Well-Being Affect Likelihood of Kidney Donation?(02/07/2014, HealthDay)
Specific Conditions
Donation FAQs (Bone and Tissue Allografts)(Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation)
Living Donation(United Network for Organ Sharing) - PDF
Related Issues
Can I Donate My Organs If I've Had Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
How You Can Help Medical Research: Donating Your Blood, Tissue, and Other Samples(National Cancer Institute) - PDF
JAMA Patient Page: Brain Death(American Medical Association) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
Organ Donation: Don't Let These Myths Confuse You(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Understanding Donation: Multicultural Perspectives(Donate Life America)
Who Can Be an Organ Donor?(American Society of Transplantation) - PDF
Also available in Spanish
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Videos
Living Donor Kidney Transplant Surgery(OR-Live) - Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk, VA, 3/25/2009
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Anatomy/Physiology
Organ Facts(United Network for Organ Sharing)
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Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Living Donors(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Tissue Donors(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Unrelated Donors(National Institutes of Health)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: A piece of my mind. Time to get over it.
Article: Raccoon rabies virus variant transmission through solid organ transplantation.
Article: Fertility preservation and breast cancer: A complex problem.
Article: New law allows organ transplants from deceased HIV-infected donors to...
Article: Guidelines for sizing pericardium for aortic valve leaflet grafts.
Article: Ovarian transposition in prepubescent and adolescent girls with cancer.
Article: A laboratory study of the effects of processing blood through...
Article: Living donor kidney transplantation using laparoscopically procured multiple renal artery...
Organ Donation -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
Transplant Glossary(Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network)
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Directories
Accredited Bank Search(American Association of Tissue Banks)
Organizations Related to Donation and Transplantation(Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration)
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Organizations
Donate Life America
Also available in Spanish
Eye Bank Association of America
National Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative(Health Resources and Services Administration)
United Network for Organ Sharing
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Law and Policy
Register as an Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donor(Donate Life America)
State Organ Donation Legislation(Health Resources and Services Administration)
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Statistics
Organ Donation for People 50 and Over(Administration on Aging)
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