Organ donation means that an organ is transferred from the body of one person to that of another person. This is done by a type of surgery called an organ transplant. The donor, the person whose organ is used, may be alive or recently dead. The person receiving the organ is called the recipient.

Organs that can be transplanted are the heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, intestine, skin, and thymus. Tissues that can be transplanted include bone, muscle, tendon, cornea, heart, and veins.