Unit 11 Entry:

Throughout the existence of mankind, we continued to discover and develop newer various technologies to help us with our lives. These inventions are created for different reasons which range from culinary purposes to health purposes to entertainment purposes. Many of these technological advances allowed us to gain a better understanding of our body, the human body. By knowing more about the body, we are able to have more effective countermeasures against various problems in the body by being able to diagnose and examine the damaged part of the body. Here are some of the technologies that we utilize for our medical needs:


The X-Ray:

An X-ray

The X-ray is probably the most notable technology that allows us to understand our internal body. Since you probably know what x-rays are, I'll give you a brief explanation of an X-ray machine. X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation. In medicine, an x-ray machine sends individual x-ray particles through the body. A computer or a type of special film is then used to record the images that are created. Denser structures are not penetrated by the x-rays and therefore show up in the x-ray images -- this is how we examine our bones. Aside from examining the body, x-rays can also be used for the management of cancer (this type of treatment is called radiation therapy), however a higher amount of radiation is needed as opposed to imaging.






Electrocardiography:
Next, is the Electrocardiogram. The electrocardiogram, A.K.A. ECG or EKG), is a noninvasive test used to reflect underlying heart conditions by measuring the electrical activity in the heart. By positioning leads (which are electrical sensing devices) on the body in standardized locations, information about many heart conditions can be learned by looking for characteristic patterns on the ECG.

A ECG (left) and a spirometry machine (right)

Spirometry:
The last of the technologies that I will be naming is spinometry. Now what is spirometry?  Spirometry is a diagnostic test that is easily done in your doctor's office or at a nearby clinic or hospital. In this test, one would be asked to take a big breath before blowing as hard as he/she can into a machine. This machine measures the amount of air that a person can blow out from his lungs as well as how fast it is blown out. Spirometry is the most reliable way to test your lungs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.


As you can see, the three technologies that I mentioned are very vital in identifying problems within the body as well as helping us prepare for a good solution for the problem. X-ray machines, electrocardiograms and spirometery machines are just some of the many machines that are used to help diagnose and cure us from many of our body's disorders and injuries. 




Sources:

• http://www.howstuffworks.com/x-ray.htm
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003337.htm
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/electrocardiogram_ecg/article_em.htm
• http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ekg/ekg_what.html
• http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/help-aide/spirometry-spirometrie/index_e.php

Commented on:

• Kendra Geniza - http://biobobombs.blogspot.com/2011/03/topic-4-internal-medical-science.html?showComment=1311696521839#c4898340583257065372