What is the most important medical discovery in history?

With the idea that modern healthcare is rooted in discoveries of the past, let's take a look at seven major medical milestones of the 20th century.
  • Antibiotics: 1929. ...
  • Tissue culture: 1949. ...
  • Risks of smoking: 1950. ...
  • Antipsychotics: 1952. ...
  • DNA: 1953. ...
  • Immunology: 1958. ...
  • Oral rehydration therapy: 1960s–1970s.
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What 20th century discovery in medicine was the most important?

4 of the Most Important Medical Inventions of the 20th Century
  1. MRI. Since the early 1980s, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has allowed doctors to get a clear and accurate view of the tissues inside our bodies. ...
  2. Artificial Heart. ...
  3. Robotic Surgery. ...
  4. Bionic Prosthetics.
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What was the most important development in medicine?

1 ANTIBIOTICS: While Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming made the initial discovery of penicillin in 1928 and further antibiotic discoveries were made in the 1940s, the medical application and further development of antibiotics really took off in the 1960s.
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What is greatest medical innovation of the century?

Medical Breakthrough #1: Artificial Organs. Because of accidents, diseases, and birth defects, there's a constant need for organ transplants to continue a life. Currently, our only option is organ donation.
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What medical invention has saved the most lives?

The breakthroughs that are credited with saving the most lives? Toilets, synthetic fertilizers, blood transfusions, the green revolution (also known as the “Third Agricultural Revolution”), and vaccines are each credited with saving 1 billion lives.
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Top 10 medical advancements in history



What was the biggest turning point in medicine?

10 Great Turning Points in Medical History
  • Understanding the circulatory system (1242-1628) ...
  • The development of vaccination (1798) ...
  • The development of anaesthetic (1842) ...
  • Advances in hygiene (1847) ...
  • The development of germ theory (1860s) ...
  • The discovery of penicillin (1928) ...
  • The discovery of the structure of DNA (1953)
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When was the first discovery of medicine?

The first modern, pharmaceutical medicine was invented in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, a German scientist. He extracted the main active chemical from opium in his laboratory and named it morphine, after the Greek god of sleep.
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What is the most important medicine?

1. Penicillin (1942) Penicillin was first developed in 1928 but started to be used in 1942. As the first official antibiotic, it marked a turning point in human history and led the way in the treatment of numerous bacterial diseases.
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Why are medical discoveries important?

Insights provided by medical research today promise to lessen the impact of our greatest health problems, including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. As science continues to unravel the molecular workings that underpin disease, we will see profound changes in the approach to treatments.
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What has been the most important discovery in the last 100 years?

DNA discovery changed world in dramatic ways

Without question, one of the most groundbreaking achievements of the last 100 years is the discovery of the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA.
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What do you think are the most important scientific discoveries in the last 100 years?

Celebrating the Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Last...
  • 1920-1929: The First Antibiotic. ...
  • 1 930-1939: The Importance of Electrolytes. ...
  • 1940-1949 Women's Health. ...
  • 1950-1959 A Breakthrough in Vaccine Therapy. ...
  • 1960-1969 Blood Storage. ...
  • 1970-1979 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) ...
  • 1980-1989 Smallpox Eradication.
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What is the most recent medical breakthrough?

Five amazing health research breakthroughs
  1. The Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine.
  2. The human liver repaired using lab-grown cells. ...
  3. The super effective single-dose breast cancer treatment.
  4. The steroids and arthritis drugs saving the lives of COVID-19 patients. ...
  5. The oral antibiotic advancing cystic fibrosis treatment.
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What is the first medical technology?

The first devices recognizable as hypodermic syringes were independently invented--virtually simultaneously--in 1853 by Scottish physician Alexander Wood and French surgeon Charles Gabriel Pravaz. Hermann von Helmholtz is considered one of the first biomedical engineers.
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Which three medical discoveries do you consider to be most important?

The Top Five Medical Breakthroughs in History
  • Germ Theory Inventor. The oldest medical breakthrough on our list might be one of the most important and that was the invention of the germ theory. ...
  • First Organ Transplant. ...
  • Antibiotic Invention History. ...
  • First MRI Machine Invented. ...
  • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.
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What is the oldest drug?

Opium has been known for millennia to relieve pain and its use for surgical analgesia has been recorded for several centuries. The Sumerian clay tablet (about 2100 BC) is considered to be the world's oldest recorded list of medical prescriptions.
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What is the miracle drug?

Miracle drug is an informal term to describe a drug (hypothetical or real) that can cure hitherto incurable medical conditions. Aspirin and penicillin were described as miracle drugs when first introduced; more recently the breast cancer drug Hercpetin has been so described.
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Which is the most important medical discovery and why?

Antibiotics (1928)

Alexander Fleming's penicillin, the world's first antibiotic, completely revolutionised the war against deadly bacteria. Famously, the Scottish biologist accidentally discovered the anti-bacterial 'mould' in a petri dish in 1928.
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Who is the real father of medicine?

Hippocrates is considered to be the father of modern medicine because in his books, which are more than 70. He described in a scientific manner, many diseases and their treatment after detailed observation. He lived about 2400 years ago.
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Who invented surgery?

Ayurveda is one of the oldest medical disciplines. The Sushrutaa Samhita is among the most important ancient medical treatises and is one of the fundamental texts of the medical tradition in India along with the Charak Samhita. Sushruta is the father of surgery.
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Was germ theory the biggest turning point in medicine?

'Louis Pasteur's publication of the Germ Theory was the biggest turning point in medicine of the period c1700- 1900.
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What helped medicine progress in the 20th century?

The rapid progress of medicine in this era was reinforced by enormous improvements in communication between scientists throughout the world. Through publications, conferences, and—later—computers and electronic media, they freely exchanged ideas and reported on their endeavours.
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What is the turning point in nursing history?

Florence Nightingale's legendary mission during the Crimean War was a turning point in the history of nursing, leading to the creation of standards for the profession.
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What has been most significant medical breakthrough in the last 10 years?

Biggest healthcare breakthroughs and trends in the 2010s
  • Artificial intelligence. ...
  • The first catheter-based aortic heart valve. ...
  • Genomics. ...
  • Robotic exoskeletons for paraplegics. ...
  • Medical cannabis. ...
  • Virtual reality for surgeons. ...
  • Internet of medical things. ...
  • The world's first artificial pancreas.
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What are some recent medical discoveries?

Here, in order of anticipated importance, are the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2022:
  • Next Generation of mRNA Vaccinology.
  • PSMA-Targeted Therapy in Prostate Cancer.
  • New Treatment for the Reduction of LDL.
  • Novel Drug for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Breakthrough Treatment for Postpartum Depression.
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What medical discoveries do you think will be made in the future?

An article from Discover Magazine helps to identify medical advances that will play a big role in the future of healthcare.
  • Crowdsourcing Medicine. ...
  • Online Medical Communities. ...
  • Artificial Intelligence. ...
  • 3d Printing Human Organs. ...
  • Healthcare Apps. ...
  • Wearable Biotrackers. ...
  • Human Powered Batteries. ...
  • Breath Based Cancer Tests.
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