What are artificial organs?

Artificial organs have been a dream of doctors for decades and are now just beginning to become a fact. Simply they are implantable and fully functional human organs that did not require a human organ donor, or human organs that have been synthetically grown from cultured human cells.

The usual method being done now uses a computer 3D printer to construct a biocompatible plastic structural framework in the shape of the desired organ, then introduce the desired cultured human cells. The cells grow inside pores in the framework and usually seem to develop the normal functions they would have in a natural organ.