Basically, x-rays are like visible light rays. In practice, x-rays expose body patients' organs and structures, so doctors can diagnose the illness faster. However, x-rays

Name: Nguyen Vu Thanh Thu Date: 23/02/2006

Assessment Event 2: Case Study Investigation

Definition

X-rays or Roentgen rays are one of the most important inventions that have changed the medical practice. X-rays are wavelike forms of electromagnetic energy or electromagnetic radiation (Harris, 2000). Basically, x-rays are like visible light rays. In practice, x-rays expose body patients’ organs and structures, so doctors can diagnose the illness faster. However, x-rays are also harmful to the frequently exposed body. Hence, doctors wear a lead protection clothes when taking x-rays photos.

History

There were many researchers in x-rays such as Heinrich Hertz, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, but x-rays’ father was Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a German physicist. The x-rays were invented by accident when Roentgen was experimenting with vacuum tubes. On November, 1895, Roentgen was working on a cathode ray generator that was projecting through a glass vacuum tube; then, he noticed a faint green light against the wall. Roentgen realised that the cathode rays travelled through many objects on his desk, examples, paper, books and wood. So, he put more objects in front of the generator and saw his hand’s bones displayed on the fluorescent screen. Roentgen kept working for 2 months before published a report: “On a New Kind of Ray: A Preliminary Communication” on December, 1895.

Science Organisation

X-rays are physics and a branch of radiation; x-ray is the study of cathode rays and waves. Physics is the study of matters, forces, energy and interactions between objects. According to Wikipedia (2005), physics discovered the applications of natural sciences. Physics is also called “The Fundamental Science”, because other sciences (biology, chemistry etc.) have to obey the law of physics.

Knowledge

The x-ray is different from normal visible light because of its energy level of the individual photons. Photons are produced by electrons, which are occupied different energy level or orbitals in ...

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Science Organisation

Knowledge

The x-ray is different from normal visible light because of its energy level of the individual photons. Photons are produced by electrons, which are occupied different energy level or orbitals in nucleus, of an atom. Electrons release energy in the form of photons when drop to a lower energy level. Then, the photons collide with other atoms, and they absorb the energy of photons. When x-ray photons collide with body tissue atoms, it knocks out electrons, if the atom does not have different energy level to absorb and shift the electrons. But a bigger atom with different energy levels, it will absorb all the photon without knock any electrons out.

X-rays exposed body’s organs and bone structure, so that doctors know exactly where the problems are. However, x-rays are harmful to humans’ bodies and lead to the cause and development of radiation sickness. X-rays are ionising radiation. For example, when a normal light hits an atom, it does not change the atom, but when an x-ray hits an atom, it collides and knocks the electrons off the orbital to create an ion, which is an electrically-charged atom. An ion-atom inside cell can lead to chemical reactions. The charge can break the DNA chain. Cells with broken DNA chain can die or develop mutation. If lots of cells die, it will develop many diseases like cancer. If reproductive organs are being mutated, it may lead to human mutation. Therefore, doctors use x-rays sparingly and must wear special clothes made of lead to protect themselves from x-rays.

Nowadays, x-rays scan is less harmful than Roentgen’s time; the technology has developed to CAT (computed axial tomography) scan. The CAT scan is a big machine connected to computer and scans the patients’ bodies in around 20 minutes.

Summary

The x-ray is the most important discovery in medical practice field, it helps expose patients’ bodies with organs and bone structure in shortest time. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen is the great physicist, who saved time for doctors. On the other hand, it is also harmful to human, because it can break DNA chains and lead to various diseases.

Reference

Cluett, J. (2006), CT Scan. About, Inc. [online]. Available at: [Accessed on January, 2006]
Harris, T. (2000), How X-rays Work, How Stuff Works [online]. Available at: [Accessed on January, 2006]
Making X-rays, (2000), USA [online]. Available at: [Accessed on January, 2006]
Physics (2005). Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia, USA [online]. Available at: [Accessed on January, 2006]
X-ray (2005) Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia, USA [online]. Available at: [Accessed on January, 2006]
X-rays, (2000) NASA [online]. Available at: [Accessed on January, 2006]
X-rays, (2000) USA [online]. Available at: [Accessed on January, 2006]

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay

dragonkeeper13

9th of Feb 2012

Quality of writing

Their quality of written communication isn't particularly good - for example they say 'when a normal light hits an atom', suggesting that the work hasn't been well proof-read. They also don't use many technical terms. However, the subtitles make it easy to understand the topic of each paragraph, and their grammar is mostly correct.

Level of analysis

They don't appear to have understood several of the statements they have made, for example, they say 'X-rays were invented', when they always existed, but had been discovered. They also tend to make seemingly random statements such as 'physics discovered the applications of natural sciences', which simply doesn't make sense! However, they have made a good attempt at describing radiation's effect on atoms and have mentioned the possibility of radiation sickness, showing some broader knowledge of the topic.

Response to question

The author has made an attempt to describe x-rays, but clearly don't fully understand the topic. They haven't gone into a lot of detail, and jump from topic to topic.

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