In life there is one thing that is inevitable and unavoidable. The topic is often avoided out of fear. Death is universal. Every day eighteen people will die in the United States of America waiting for an organ transplant. Organ transplant involves the donation of a healthy body part from a living or dead individual to another person. (Fundukian, Organ, p674-678) Medical illnesses do not discriminate. It doesn't matter wealth, race, religion or even age. The types of diseases that cause and lead to organ failure are heart disease, cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, hepatitis, kidney disease, and hypertension. Currently, medical professionals are able to transplant kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, pancreas, intestines, cornea, skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, veins, heart valves and middle ear. Before we explore the history of organ transplantation, we must first understand some important terms. Some of the important groups involved in organ transplantation are the recipients, the donors, the transplant team, the United Network Organ Sharing (UNOS), and the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network (OPTN). . First, recipients are individuals whose organs are failing and have received an organ donated by a living donor or a deceased donor. A living donor is a person who donates organs such as kidney, liver, lung, intestine, pancreas and bone marrow. The second type of donor is a deceased donor. A deceased donor is an individual who is declared brain dead and the decision is made based on the wishes of the individual or his or her family, a donor family as it is often referred to. The organs that can be donated from a deceased donor are kidney, liver, lungs, heart, pancreas, intestine, corn... middle of paper... f The ethics of presumed consent and a proposal based on necessity Answer". Network for Organ Procurement and Transplantation. June 30, 1993. “Understanding Donation” Donate Life America. Web.Fundukian, Laurie J., ed Medicine. Detroit, MI: Cengage Learning, 2011.---Organ Donation and Transplantation, The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2013. Gift of Life Donation Program the myths about organ donation” Gift of life. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Web.Lupkin, Sydney. "Organ donation rates: where the United States stands". United States Human Services. Organ Procurement and Transplantation “Waiting List Data”. Administration of health resources and services. Rockville, MD. Net.