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GCSE History · key term
Radiation used to produce images of structures inside the body, helping doctors locate injuries and plan treatment.
Used by AQA
Paper 2
Revise: Impact of War and TechnologyWilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895. X-ray images allowed doctors to investigate structures inside the body without first making an incision. They could identify fractures and locate bullets or shrapnel before attempting to remove them.
Explain the link between an advance and its benefit: locating shrapnel with X-rays helped surgeons remove it more accurately, rather than simply making surgery ‘better’.
Distinguish invention from wider use. X-rays and knowledge of blood groups pre-dated the First World War; war accelerated their application.
Do not confuse diagnostic X-rays with radiation therapy: one produces images; the other treats disease.
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