Chapter 1 Introduction to Imaging and Radiologic Sciences

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the basic energy forms, imaging modalities, history, and career paths in the radiologic sciences.

Medical Radiation Sciences

The use of energy to create images of the human body for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Ionization

A process where certain forms of energy create changes in human tissue; while used to create medical images, it also has the potential to harm living tissue.

Radiography

The use of electromagnetic energy in the form of X-rays to create medical images.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

A non-ionizing imaging modality that uses high-frequency sound energy to create medical images.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

A non-ionizing imaging modality that uses high-strength magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the human body.

Computed Tomography (CT)

An imaging technique that uses X-ray energy and sophisticated software to create cross-sectional images as the X-ray tube and detector rotate around the patient.

Nuclear Medicine

A branch of radiologic technology that uses the nuclear energy of the atom and radioactive isotopes to create medical images.

Gamma Radiation

The form of nuclear energy used in nuclear medicine to create medical images.

Radiopharmaceuticals

Radioactive substances administered to patients to assess physiological functioning in nuclear medicine.

Cardiovascular Interventional Technology (CVIT)

The use of X-rays, catheters, and the injection of X-ray contrast material to visualize human blood vessels and heart anatomy.

Radiation Therapy

The use of very-high-energy ionizing radiation to treat malignant tumors, also known as cancer.

Medical Dosimetrist

A professional who works with radiation therapists to calculate and administer treatment plans.

Hippocrates

A historical figure considered the "Father of Western Medicine," whose timeline goes back $5000$ years.

Louis Pasteur

The scientist who discovered the role of germs in the disease process during the $17th$ century.

Wilhelm C. Röntgen

The discoverer of X-rays, who achieved this on November 8, $1895$, and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in $1901$.

Radiologist Assistant

An advanced career option within radiologic sciences that requires additional education and certification.

Allied Health

A category referring to most health careers, including those in the radiologic sciences, that support total patient care.

Mammography

A specialty area in radiologic technology focused on the imaging of breast tissue.

DEXA Scanning

A career opportunity in radiologic sciences also known as Bone Densitometry.