In the past 100 years, science and technology has made great improvements in the study of the human body. Early on, when a person lost a limb they could only receive wooden appendages, but now, with advancements in technology and medicine; people can be rebuilt with better materials. For example, today, we have more resources such as steel and aluminum. Also, scientists have created synthetic polymers that transmit feeling to the body. By having a thin, elastic, polymer layer between the skin, any slight detection can allow the body the sensitivity of its original limb. By molding it into different shapes and sizes, "a robotic hand covered with electronic skin could feel a surface and know rough from smooth" (Zhenan Bao). It is amazing that after all this time of research; our society has gone from wooden legs to artificial skin with real feeling.
Another improvement is that researchers have created an "ink jet printer" that allows the bio-medical engineers to use cells, like ink, to create thin layers of human skin. Scientists have done studies and have come to the conclusion that genes can be turned "on" or "off" when need be. The human body has more than 20,000 genes that are arranged in 3 billion pairs. They can utilize these genes to recreate or repair skin and even organs. The Geon Corp. ("THE WEEK"- Building a better human) injected stem cells into a damaged area to treat patients with spinal cord injuries, hoping that the stem cells would multiply, renewing the patient's injury. Stem cells have the ability to develop into many other types of cells, and therefore, can repair them along with other body parts. Also, some special stem cells can become tissue and repair the worn out or weak areas of the body. Without stem cells and the advancements in technology and material, science could not have improved to where we are today. These spectacular studies have enabled people to swap a damaged organ, skin, or limb for a new one created from their own DNA. This scientific progress gives hope that human life expectancy will increase to 100 or beyond.
My brother, Chris, inspired me to learn more about this topic. I have always been interested in the human body and when I heard that he was considering majoring in bio-medical engineering in college, I wanted to learn more about what it entailed. This topic was very interesting because it showed me how science has evolved and now seems as though anything is possible. Research has taught me how with the new technology today, injured or diseased patients have a greater chance of surviving. By using the stem cells and the patient's DNA, their disease or injury could be fixed in an instant. This topic has pushed me to learn more about the improvement of science and where the world can be in the future. I hope to learn more about creating body parts and it is all thanks to my brother's interest in science.
- ADV
Resources:
· "THE WEEK" Magazine- September 3rd Issue
