MCQ Detailed View

The invention of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine revolutionized medical diagnostics by allowing doctors to view detailed images of internal organs and tissues without surgery. The credit for inventing the first MRI machine goes to Dr. Raymond Damadian, an American physician and scientist, who built the first full-body MRI scanner in 1977.

MRI works on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In this technique, the nuclei of certain atoms (especially hydrogen, which is abundant in the human body) absorb and emit radiofrequency energy when placed in a strong magnetic field. By detecting this signal, computers can construct highly detailed images of the body’s internal structures.

Dr. Damadian discovered in the early 1970s that cancerous tissues and healthy tissues produced different NMR signals. This observation became the basis for using MRI in medical diagnosis. His prototype scanner, named “Indomitable,” produced the first human MRI body scan in July 1977, marking a breakthrough in non-invasive imaging.

The other options are not correct:

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  Godfrey Hounsfield invented the CT (Computed Tomography) scanner, not MRI.

  
  


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  Mattias Schleiden was a botanist known for cell theory.

  
  


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  Theodore Schwann was a physiologist who also contributed to cell theory, not medical imaging.

  
  

MRI is now widely used in hospitals around the world for diagnosing brain disorders, spinal injuries, tumors, and joint abnormalities. Unlike X-rays or CT scans, MRI does not use ionizing radiation, making it a safer option for repeated use.

In summary, the correct answer is Raymond Damadian, who invented the first MRI machine, forever changing the landscape of medical diagnostics and saving countless lives through early detection of diseases.