All About Life-Saving Organ Transplants

8. Donors and Donations

Organ donors may be living or deceased. Living individuals can donate a kidney, liver segment, lung lobe, and, in rare cases, segments of the intestine or pancreas. This type of donation often occurs between relatives or close friends. Organs donated by deceased donors include the heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, intestine, heart valves, eyes, and skin. As the science of transplantation progresses, more and more organs are becoming viable for transplantation.