You could say that 2013 was the year of bioprinting. Researchers and private companies alike made huge strides in printing live human tissue, from ears to livers. From 2014 onward, we’re going to see some amazing advancements made in the field of bioprinting.

Ben Harrison, a proponent of 3D printers, recently gave a TEDx talk in which he proclaims 3D printers as the one emergent technology that may one day “counter the degenerative effects of aging and disease on the human body.” In other words, 3D printers are the perfect complement to organ donations.

Harrison explains that those waiting on organ donations far exceed the number of organs being donated ever year. With 3D printing, doctors may one day be able to recreate an organ based on the patient’s own cells. He says we’ll one day find that doctors can simply do a simple CT scan of your failing organs, print a healthy recreation and replace the failing organ with the new one.

Now, none of this is exactly new to those who’ve been following bioprinting, but the concept has always been a little hard to explain. Harrison’s talk is for those who find it hard to get past all the scientific jargon and just want a layman’s explanation of what bioprinting can do for them.

Image via TEDx Talks/YouTube