00:00 This episode of "Stuff You Should Know" discusses the history of organ donation, including the first successful living human to human organ donation in 1954.

04:33 Since the first successful living human to human organ donation in 1954, there have been over half a million organ transplants performed, and advancements in understanding the human body and anti-rejection drugs have greatly improved the success of these surgeries.

08:48 There is a shortage of organs available for transplantation, resulting in long waiting lists and high mortality rates for those in need of organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver.

13:03 In Japan, organ donation rates are low due to the belief that the corpse becomes impure after death, while Jehovah's Witnesses allow organ donation as long as the blood is drained from the organ first.

17:26 There are two ways to donate organs after death: brain death and cardiac death, with different rules and time constraints for each.

21:34 When a brain dead patient's organs are procured, they have to go through a battery of tests to establish brain death, including shining lights in their pupils, injecting ice water into their ear canal, and performing an apnea test; once brain death is confirmed, the patient is anesthetized, injected with anti-paralytics, and their organs are harvested.

25:46 The organ procurement and donation network operates 24/7, 365 days a year, and there are multiple organizations that maintain waiting lists and match donors with recipients, such as the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network; when organs need to be transported across the country, they are put into coolers and flown to the destination, and if a living donor is on the organ donation list, they are given extra consideration if they need an organ transplant themselves.

29:49 In some cases, recipients of organ donations are expected to pay for the lodging and travel expenses of the living donor, although it is an unwritten rule and kind of against the law.

34:13 Illegal organ trafficking has occurred in various countries, including South Africa, India, and Israel, as well as in the US, where organs are sometimes harvested by organ brokers and funeral directors before cremation.

38:34 The hosts discuss their personal views on organ donation and encourage listeners to gather all the facts before making a decision.