Authors:
- Lejla Jelovica – Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Rijeka, Croatia
Article type:
Review
Abstract:
Technological advances and the development of computers have enabled the production of sophisticated devices that use ionizing radiation for electronic imaging of the human body and for image processing for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment of disease. Undergraduate students in radiological technology need a thorough knowledge of physics in order to use these new technologies efficiently and safely and to understand the fundamentals of their work. Although the undergraduate program in radiological technology combines knowledge from computer science and statistics with medical knowledge, it is only through an understanding of the physical laws of the concepts mentioned in the context of medical radiology that students become complete experts, able to work independently or as part of a team in the field of radiography, nuclear medicine, and radiologic diagnosis and therapy. At the same time, knowledge and conceptual interpretation of the laws of physics are necessary for understanding basic biological processes in the human body, such as the cardiac activity or the transmission of nerve impulses. Therefore, the subject of physics focuses on knowledge of the structure of matter and the structure of atoms, electromagnetism, ultrasound, elementary nuclear physics, the nature of ionizing radiation and the generation and application of X-rays, which is fundamental to understanding the physics of medical imaging. The paper introduces some areas of science that are an integral part of the Physics course at the Undergraduate Professional Study of Radiological Technology.
Keywords:
medical radiology, physics, radiologic technologist, technology