Motion of an object is the action of changing location or position. The field of mechanics is used to characterize the interrelationships between motion, forces, and energy. Classical mechanics is based upon Newton’s three laws of motion. There are many types of motion including linear, oscillatory, angular, random, chaotic, and quantum. All of these types of motion have application in biomedical engineering.
Motion of the human body is used in medical science. Three-dimensional motion capture systems are used to break down complex body movements into linear and angular motions. These data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical procedures or physical therapy protocols, diagnose the physical conditions of children with cerebral palsy, and understanding movement patterns of top athletes.
Random motion is associated with the diffusion process used throughout the body to move molecules. It is necessary for the transfer of oxygen and other nutrients needed by cells and the removal of waste such are carbon dioxide. Diffusion is utilized at synaptic junctions to transmit electrical signals across neurons. Although movement of molecules appears to be random, because they are governed by physical laws, the motion could be better described as chaotic. Chaotic motion is a term used to describe the deterministic movement that is highly complex and difficult to predict due to this complexity. However, advances in computational capability are making analysis of high-dimensional chaotic systems more feasible.
Quantum motion is associated with the motion of very small objects. It is utilized in medical imaging technology such as computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET), which detect the transmission of electromagnetic waves to map the internal structures of the body. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures the nuclear spin on hydrogen atoms to develop similar images. In addition, because the human body consists of structures that are built from smaller structures, the tiny movements of molecules within cells inevitably governs our overall body function. Thus, applications of quantum mechanics in medicine continue to grow.
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