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The history of medicine has been substantially defined by a small number of monumental
discoveries. Most of these breakthroughs have emerged from the biological sciences. One of
the first great breakthroughs was the recognition by Koch in 1884 that pathogens could be
transmitted from one living organism to another to cause disease. This profound concept led
to a revolution in the approach to patient care that ultimately led to introduction of “sterile”
techniques that greatly improved survivals of patients. This knowledge promoted the discovery
of antibiotics 40 years later, which dramatically increased life expectancy throughout the more
developed parts of the world.
Another great milestone that has influenced medical care was the use of anesthesia for
surgery, which was first introduced in 1846. Collectively, these three discoveries armed
physicians with the knowledge and means to substantially reduce the prevalence of infectious
disease, which was and still remains the leading cause of death throughout the world, and to
perform a much wider range of surgeries with greatly improved survivals. The improved lifeexpectancies
enabled the medical community to focus on a wider range of medical problems
and solutions to disease.
Today’s modern age of medicine is being defined mostly by the benefits of the discovery
of the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1953. This landmark discovery enabled the
revolution in the diagnosis and treatment of heritable diseases through the use of molecular
genetic techniques, including the development of the polymerase chain reaction, which, like
the work on DNA itself, was ultimately honored by a Nobel prize. This knowledge spawned
the field of proteomics research that is now providing insights into disease mechanisms and
new biological therapies. |
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Building a PC For DummiesGot a screwdriver? You can put together your own PC!
Build the foundation, install an operating system, and add the cool stuff
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