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Imaging in Biology and Medicine
Biomedical imaging methods open new ways to see the body’s inner workings, measure biological functions, and evaluate cellular and molecular events using less invasive procedures. While X-ray imaging is a familiar example, it represents only one aspect of this fast growing field.
Examples of other imaging modalities include:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Positron emission tomography (PET)
- Single photon emission coherence tomography (SPECT)
- Ultrasound imaging
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
- Computed (x-ray) tomography
- Fluorescence imaging
These approaches allow physicians to detect disease and injury at their most curable stage and enable the delivery of less invasive and highly targeted medical therapies. Cellular and molecular imaging techniques combine new molecular agents with traditional imaging tools to capture pictures of specific biological pathways and processes in a living organism. These approaches will help researchers study normal biological processes and to diagnose and manage diseases.
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