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Health Revision Cards

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1900 -

Middle Ages

The Renaissance

Industrial Revolution

Twentieth Century

Technology and Modern Medicine

Technology has had an enormous impact on modern medicine:

  1. Diagnosis: the X-Ray was developed by Wilhelm Rontgen in 1895. More recently, ultrasound and MRI scanners enable doctors to see inside the patient without causing any harm.
  2. Science: new technology has helped scientific understanding, for example the electron microscope helped with the development of magic bullets and X-Ray crystallography was crucial in discovering the structure of DNA.
  3. Nuclear Medicine: knowledge of physics and new superconductors have enabled MRI scanners. Radiotherapy can now be precisely targeted at tumours.
  4. Lasers: are used in surgery to cauterise tiny blood vessels and to shape tissue, e.g. in eye surgery.
  5. Drugs: advanced chemistry and computer modelling are used in the development of new drugs.
  6. Computers: are used to read, analyse and synthesise DNA.
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