Which of the following instruments is used to hear the sounds of the heart and lungs?

A stethoscope is a medical instrument used by doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals to listen to the internal sounds of the body, mainly the heart, lungs, and sometimes intestines or blood flow in arteries. The term “stethoscope” comes from the Greek words stethos (chest) and skopein (to look or to examine), meaning “to examine the chest.”

The stethoscope was invented in 1816 by René Laennec, a French physician. He created the first stethoscope using a simple wooden tube to listen to chest sounds without placing his ear directly on the patient’s body. Over time, the instrument evolved into the modern binaural stethoscope with rubber tubing, metal earpieces, and a diaphragm.

A standard stethoscope has three main parts:

1. 
   

   Earpieces: Fit into the doctor’s ears to hear the sound clearly.

   
   


2. 
   

   Tubing: Carries the sound from the chest piece to the earpieces.

   
   


3. 
   

   Chest piece (Diaphragm and Bell): The flat side (diaphragm) is used to detect high-pitched sounds such as normal heartbeats and lung sounds, while the bell side helps detect low-pitched sounds like abnormal heart murmurs.

   
   

When a doctor places the stethoscope on a patient’s chest, they can listen to:

• 
  

  Heartbeat rhythm: To check for regular or irregular patterns.

  
  


• 
  

  Lung sounds: To detect wheezing, fluid, or other respiratory problems.

  
  


• 
  

  Bowel sounds: To assess digestive activity.

  
  

The stethoscope is one of the most essential diagnostic tools in medicine. It helps in the early detection of heart and lung diseases, such as bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, and heart murmurs.

In short, the stethoscope allows medical professionals to monitor the body’s vital sounds, making it a cornerstone of modern clinical practice.

✅ Correct Answer: B) Stethoscope