Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

medical technology · magnets · body scanning · non-invasive

Powerful magnets at work. MRI machines use incredibly strong magnetic fields, way more powerful than any magnet you've ever played with, to line up tiny particles inside your body called atoms.

Radio waves do the trick. The machine sends out radio waves (like the waves that carry your favorite radio stations) to nudge those atoms, and then listens as they send signals back to create detailed pictures.

No radiation needed. Unlike X-rays or CT scans, MRI doesn't use any harmful radiation to see inside you, which makes it extra safe for looking at soft things like your brain and organs.

Pictures of everything. Doctors can use MRI to get amazingly clear pictures of your brain, heart, muscles, and almost any part of your body to figure out what's going on when you're sick.

Science magic. MRI is actually a medical version of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the same science that scientists use to study how molecules are made.