Lecture 1 - Introduction Flashcards
Why are we struggling, as a society, to improve our knowledge in medicine?
High standard of ethics prevents a lot of cutting edge research
Limited research funding
Prevalence of the highly criticised reductionist approach
What makes the human body so complex?
It is very complex and interconnected - it combines areas of all branches of physics, biology and chemistry.
Each person is individual - interactions and systems vary in their function between people.
What is a reductionist approach to medicine?
Treating the body as a system of unchanging parts that combine to perform a function, like a car.
What is the Virtual Human?
An effort to create an in-silico model of the entire human body
What is a holistic approach to medicine?
Treating the body as a system of interconnected systems that affect each other. If something changes in one part of the body, this affects the function of the other parts.
What are the problems with the reductionist approach?
Fails to understand the complexity of the body - treats it like a mechanical system, and can miss interconnected causes of disease.
What are the benefits of the holistic approach?
