UPSC Prelims 2004 Q108: Science & Technology – Science & Technology History
The research work of Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield, the Nobel Prize winners for
Medicine in 2003, relates to
- (a) The control of AIDS
- (b) Magnetic resonance imaging
- (c) Respiratory diseases
- (d) Genetic engineering
Answer: (b) Magnetic resonance imaging
Explanation
Nobel Prize for Medicine, 2003
| Option | Link with Lauterbur and Mansfield |
|---|---|
| Magnetic resonance imaging | Yes — discoveries concerning MRI |
| Control of AIDS | No |
| Respiratory diseases | No |
| Genetic engineering | No |
Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Answer: (b) Magnetic resonance imaging.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Their work was not on AIDS control.
- (b) CORRECT. They developed magnetic resonance imaging.
- (c) Incorrect. Their work was not on respiratory disease.
- (d) Incorrect. Their work was not on genetic engineering.
Key point
Nobel Medicine 2003: Lauterbur and Mansfield (MRI); 2004: Axel and Buck (smell).
Remember
Lauterbur and Mansfield won the 2003 Nobel Prize for MRI.
Common mistakes
- Confusing MRI with the CT scan of Hounsfield.
- Linking the prize with AIDS research.
- Mixing up the Nobel years 2003 and 2004.
Exam tip
MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves, with no X-rays.
Sources
- Nobel Prize — The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2003 (Paul C. Lauterbur and Sir Peter Mansfield: magnetic resonance imaging), press release
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — magnetic resonance imaging