IF you have ever thought about what to do with your remains when you die, you possibly haven’t considered preserving your body using silicon rubber and epoxy resin.

But a new exhibition at the O2 bubble in Greenwich, which invites the visitor to literally stare death in the face, is made possible because people have donated their bodies to be put on show.

Body Worlds and the Mirror of Time is the latest offering from controversial and pioneering anatomist Dr Gunther von Hagens, who for the last 33 years has been perfecting a technique for preserving and exhibiting dead bodies.

The process developed by the 63-year-old physician is called plastination and involves replacing the body’s fluids and fats with reactive resins and elastomers which harden with light, gas or heat curing.

His anatomical exhibitions, which feature whole body plastinates, healthy and diseased organs and transparent body slices, have been seen by 26 million people around the world.

The latest exhibition uses 200 real human specimens, as well as a horse and a giraffe, to look at the human life-cycle - from pre-natal development to old age.

Dr von Hagens, who doffs his trademark black hat to Dr Nicolaas Tulp, the anatomist painted by Rembrandt, describes himself as a scientist who has embraced art.

By getting under the skin of the human subject, the works offer an analytical view of the body’s make-up, but are at the same time objects of beauty.

Dr von Hagens said: “Using the post-mortal body as a point of reflection, I will tell the story of who we are, how we think and feel and how we are born, age and die.”

He added: “We will present ageing as a natural progression - from conception to living with inspiration into later years and the latest findings in longevity research.”

Figures produced by the Office of National Statistics say the over 80s are the fastest growing group in the population of England and Wales.

People aged 80 and over currently constitute 4.5per cent of the population.

That figure of 2,749,507 people is 1.1 million more than in 1981.

Dr von Hagens added: “The Mirror of Time will remind people what’s at stake as they age and help them learn about living a long, healthy life.”

The success of the man who delights in being called “Doctor Death” by the media, has led to more people wanting to donate their post-mortal bodies to further his research.

In 1993 he set up the Institute for Plastination after out-growing the technical facilities at the University of Heidelberg, where he had been based since he began his career as a research assistant in 1977.

There are now 400 plastination laboratories in 40 countries around the world using the technique to prepare bodies for academic study and Dr von Hagaans’ exhibitions.

People who wish to donate their bodies do not have to sign a contract or pay a fee and the only cost involved is in transporting the body to Germany.

The age of the body being donated does not matter and it does not matter if the body is diseased.

To donate your body for plastination contact The Institute for Plastination Body Donation Office, Rathausstrasse 11, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany or email koerperspende@plastination.com or call +49 (0) 6221 33 11 50.

Body Worlds and the Mirror of Time opens at the O2 today (October 24) and will run until August 23 next year.

For more information and to book tickets visit visitlondon.com/bodyworlds or call 0844 844 0003.