Most people are uncomfortable with death - and autopsies confront death in a very intimate way.
Perhaps that's why autopsies are poorly understood. The community would probably prefer forensic pathologists to remain discretely in the background. However, recent publicity about autopsies and tissue retention in Australia and Britain suggest the public needs to know more. The mortuary, where autopsies take place, is not unlike an operating theatre. Usually, all internal organs, including the brain, are removed, dissected and examined, while small samples are taken for examination or testing.