Inside the Human Body - Creation

Catching my eye at the library, 'Inside the Human Body', presented by Michael Mosley was aired by the BBC in 2011 and released on DVD around about the same time. Opening with fantastic images of the human body it immediately captured my attention as i nestled in for a relaxing watch. What i had first expected to be a DVD about the human body and its processes blew me away when it started with the very first thing that we all go through, birth.

With powerful imagery and use of effective examples Michael Mosley clearly illustrated the mind blowing phenomena all of us go through, but have little knowledge about. Starting with the initial sperm entering the woman's body, Mosley showed the audience how many hurdles there actually are for the sperm to get to the egg. Not only must it cross into the womb (which is blocked by mucus) but it must cross across the cervix, where hundreds of phagocytes (white blood cells) wait to treat the "foreign" sperm. Illustrated using brilliant pictures and music the documentary shows the ingenious way the woman's body picks the strongest sperm.

Not only did they highlight the amazing features of the body but showed the advances in technology that have helped to take care of pregnant woman and ensure they have the care and support they need. In star contrast, however, was Nakozi from Rwanda, where sadly woman don't have the same privileges and luxuries as here in the UK or elsewhere in the developed world. Her closest medical clinic was two hours away and after going into labour, she had to leave her home to start her walk to the clinic.

Showcasing the best in medical technology, the documentary also showed how we are now able to get a 4D picture into the womb, allowing us to see the embryos as they develop and grow. Furthermore, they showed how surgery can be used to help treat patients with clefts, where during pregnancy the fusing of tissues on the face resulted in a gap in the ridge above the mouth.

All in all it was a brilliant documentary and i hope to have the same experience with the other 3 parts of the documentary, and i feel the BBC correctly called it a masterpiece by, "illustrating the surprising ways our bodies work and tells the stories of remarkable people from around the world who have pushed theirs to the limit."