Medical Marvels trivia
Medical Marvels Mini Quiz
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Which South African surgeon performed the first human heart transplant in 1967?
Christiaan Barnard transplanted a human heart in Cape Town on December 3 1967.
Which American virologist developed the first polio vaccine approved in the US in 1955?
Jonas Salk inactivated polio vaccine was declared safe in April 1955 after the largest US trial.
Who performed the first successful human kidney transplant in Boston in 1954?
Joseph Murray transplanted a kidney between identical twins in Boston on December 23 1954.
Which Jonas Salk vaccine rival developed an oral polio vaccine in 1961?
Sabin oral vaccine was licensed in 1961 and given on sugar cubes worldwide.
Which type of wave does an MRI scanner send to excite hydrogen nuclei?
Radio-frequency pulses briefly disturb aligned hydrogen nuclei, and returning signals help create the image.
Which mold helped Alexander Fleming discover penicillin's antibacterial effect?
Fleming saw a clear zone around the colony where nearby Staphylococcus bacteria failed to grow.
What type of pathogen does penicillin primarily fight?
Penicillin targets structures in susceptible bacteria, while viruses lack those targets and do not respond to antibiotics.
Which element supplies most of the signal in a conventional MRI scan?
Water and fat contain abundant hydrogen, giving conventional MRI many protons to detect throughout the body.
What does the M in MRI stand for?
Strong magnetic fields align hydrogen spins, while radio-frequency pulses change spin states and produce detectable signals.
Where do doctors usually place a conventional pacemaker's generator?
A conventional generator usually sits under the skin below the collarbone, with leads connecting it to the heart.