Organ and tissue donation is a life-saving and transformative medical process in which organs and tissues are removed from a donor and transplanted into a recipient who is seriously ill due to organ failure. One organ is said to save up to 10 people and can improve the lives of thousands more (Australian Red Cross Blood Service, 2011). Most donated organs and tissues came from people who have already died, but in some cases a living person can donate organs such as kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, and some tissues such as skin, bones, bone marrow, and cornea ( Health Resources and Services Administration, 2013) as well as blood, stem cells and platelets (Taranto, 2012). Over 100,000 US citizens are waiting for an organ donation but unfortunately for many of them they would not receive any request for a suitable donor nor a second chance at life (Mayo Clinic). This research will address the history of organ donation and transplantation and its likely contributions to future medical advances.2. History of Organ Transplants2.1 Ancient History The first organ transplants can be traced back to ancient times where the myths of the ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese featured accounts of transplants performed by gods and healers involving corpses and animals although these claims were believed to be fictitious, Indian doctors could probably begin transplanting skin from one part of the body to another to repair wounds and burns around 800 BC. It is during the 16th century that the Italian surgeon Gasparo Tagliacozzi, also known as the father of surgery plastic, performed the reconstruction of the nose and skin. ears by transplanting the patient's skin tissue from the arm to the patient's nose and ears. He dis...... half of the paper ...... from History in the Headlines Website: http://www.history.com/news/organ-transplants-a-brief-history Robson, N. (2010 ) Organ transplants: an analysis of ethical, social and religious issues. Retrieved February 6, 2014, from cogprints.org/8083/1/Organ%20transplants.pdf‎Taranto, S. (July 16, 2012) Fact Sheet on Organ Donations and Transplants. Retrieved from the Office of Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website: http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/organ-donation.html#hTroug, RD , Miller, FG and Halpern, SD (2013) The deceased donor rule and the future of organ donation. N English J Med 2013; 369:1287-1289Watson, CJE and Dark, JH (2012) Organ transplantation: historical perspective and current practice. British Journal of Anesthesia. Retrieved from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/content/108/suppl_1/i29.full