The teaching of human anatomy has historically been linked to the study of human corpses through observation and dissection. Despite the advances in multimedia texts and instruments over the years, anatomy education is not understood without incorporating the teaching-learning processes in the anatomy laboratories. The purpose of thisresearch was to describe the physical, educational, human resources and methods of fixation and conservation of cadaveric samples from 12 Chilean universities. A descriptive study was carried out where 12 human anatomy laboratories were visited, of which 10 were remodeled after the year 2000. The maximum capacity average of the laboratories was 103 students. All those interviewed reported using some type of cadaveric material, but only 3 of the labs have sufficient stock to allow these elements to be used in real practice. For fixation and preservation, 75 % of labs use a low percentage formaldehyde, while 17 % use a high concentration. The average of teachers that participate in the laboratories was of 11.7 per university, of which only 14.2 % present graduate or postgraduate degree in the specialty. Homogeneity is scarce in Chilean universities in reference to the implementation of human resources, cadaveric samples and formalin-free conservation methods in human anatomy laboratories. Therefore, it is important to exchange experiences, standardize and recognize the best practices in this field.

KEY WORDS: Laboratories; Anatomy; Chilean Universities.