Medicine + Technology + Art

When I was a junior in high school, I injured myself playing basketball. My middle finger dislocated and popped out of my skin. I was rushed to the ER where I was given an X-Ray, relocated my finger and had the wound sewn up. By then in Highschool, I disliked Biology as a science. However, after the injury, I realized the amazing facets of biology and medicine. With my experiences regarding my hand as well as professor Vensa's lectures, I've learned much about the relationship between medicine, technology, and art.


My sewn up finger

My injury gave me the chance to see my very own bone and flesh come out of my finger. Afterward, I became very interested in the inner workings of the human body. I had the chance to see the Body Worlds exhibit professor Vensa talked about in her first lecture at the California Science Center. Dr. Gunther Von Hagens' display of bodies truly changed the way I look at the human body. In his plasticized models, I could see every strand of muscle, every shape of cartilage and every different bone in the human body. Body World also shows how even the most basic movements like sitting or walking requires the cooperation of multiple tendons, muscles and bones to be at the right place at the right time. This exhibit really reveals that the human body is a work of art.

What my body probably looks like while playing basketball

Before they could patch up my injury, the doctors at the ER had to take an x-ray of my finger to make sure there was no structural damage. After the shock of the injury and fixing my finger subsided, I took a look at my finger's x-ray. It was a humbling experience to see both the bone coming out of my hand as well as the x-ray of it. It made me realize how mortal we are as human beings and I was in awe of how advanced our technology is that we have the ability to look into our bodies. The concept is basic. It is merely shooting a beam of electrons at a certain frequency through a body part onto a film. Yet this simple idea has opened the living human body without harming a person. The ability to see the issue and quickly diagnosis it revolutionized science and medicine as we know it.

An x-ray of a dislocated finger much like mine

Sources:

 Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine Pt 1.” Desma 9.

 Body Worlds. Body Worlds, bodyworlds.com/.

 Hagens, Gunther Von. “Body Worlds.” California Science Center, Los Angeles, 1970.

 Soqui, Ted. “'Body Worlds: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies'.” Getty Images, 1 July 2004, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/human-body-with-muscles-exposed-playing-basketball-on-news-photo/539994162.

 Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine Pt 2.” Desma 9.

 How Does an X-Ray Work? Wonderopolis, wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-does-an-x-ray-work.

 Blomberg, Joshua. “Phalanx Dislocations.” Phalanx Dislocations - Hand, Orthobullets, www.orthobullets.com/hand/6038/phalanx-dislocations.
Blomberg, Joshua. “Phalanx Dislocations.” Phalanx Dislocations - Hand, Orthobullets, www.orthobullets.com/hand/6038/phalanx-dislocations.
Body Worlds. Body Worlds, bodyworlds.com/.
Hagens, Gunther Von. “Body Worlds.” California Science Center, Los Angeles, 1970.
How Does an X-Ray Work?Wonderopolis, wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-does-an-x-ray-work.
Soqui, Ted. “'Body Worlds: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies'.” Getty Images, 1 July 2004, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/human-body-with-muscles-exposed-playing-basketball-on-news-photo/539994162.
Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine Pt 1.” Desma 9.
Blomberg, Joshua. “Phalanx Dislocations.” Phalanx Dislocations - Hand, Orthobullets, www.orthobullets.com/hand/6038/phalanx-dislocations.
Body Worlds. Body Worlds, bodyworlds.com/.
Hagens, Gunther Von. “Body Worlds.” California Science Center, Los Angeles, 1970.
How Does an X-Ray Work?Wonderopolis, wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-does-an-x-ray-work.
Soqui, Ted. “'Body Worlds: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies'.” Getty Images, 1 July 2004, www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/human-body-with-muscles-exposed-playing-basketball-on-news-photo/539994162.
Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine Pt 1.” Desma 9.

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