Some say beauty is skin deep. A new Atlanta exhibit goes even deeper - all the way to the bone - to reveal the beauty inside the human body.

Bodies ... The Exhibition contains human bodies and a variety of body parts in a museum setting. The result is a fascinating and at times creepy display of human anatomy.

Liquid silicone rubber is used to preserve human tissue, creating odorless cadavers; permanently preserved specimens that are rubbery to the touch and have a crystalline finish.

It can take about a week to process a small body part, a year to preserve an entire body.

There are 21 whole-body specimens on display, many in athletic poses, and more than 250 partial-body parts. The anatomical displays are dramatically lit in museum cases, making them look more like art than parts of human cadavers.

Throughout the exhibit are wall texts and labels explaining the displays, and more detailed information can be obtained from a self-guided audio tour.

The exhibition, which opened March 4 at Atlanta Civic Center, is not without controversy.

European exhibits of plasticized corpses have been criticized for being disrespectful to the dead.

A few years ago, media reports raised questions about how some bodies were obtained. There were allegations that corpses of executed Chinese prisoners were turned into exhibits. The specimens on display in the Atlanta exhibit all died of natural causes, according to Premier Exhibitions Inc., the organizer of the exhibit.

The exhibit includes a display of human fetal development, which might be difficult for some people to view, but an exit is available for those who wish to bypass that display.

Bodies ... The Exhibition provides an eye-opening look inside the human body without the blood and gore.

If you go

Where: Atlanta Civic Center, 395 Piedmont Ave.
When: Through Sept. 4
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Tickets: Available at the door or online at www.bodiestickets.com, or call (877) 772-5425.
Price: Ages 15-65, $20; 65 and older, $18; 4-14, $15; an audio tour costs an additional $5.
On the Net: www.bodiestheexhibition.com