Lifelong Learning College

13/08/2025

An example of how medicine and biomedical research continues to progress to find new solutions.

At twenty-three years old, Richard Herrick (left) was suffering from incurable kidney failure and had been given just two years to live. His best hope was a pioneering procedure, which would require his healthy twin Ronald (right) to donate one of his own kidneys.

On 23 December 1954 the two were wheeled into the operating theatre to undergo the experimental operation. It was to become the world’s first successful kidney transplant.

Their surgeon was Joseph Murray who believed he could overcome the organ rejection that had caused previous attempts to fail by transplanting a kidney from an identical twin. His hypothesis was correct. Both patients made a good recovery. Richard even went onto marry the nurse that looked after him in hospital – together they had two children.

In time scientists built on this knowledge, learning how to transplant organs between unrelated individuals by suppressing their immune systems. The success of the operation paved the way for other organ transplants such as liver, pancreas and heart.

Today millions of lives have been saved thanks to organ donation and the generosity of people like Ronald that have donated organs to those in need.

Discover more about Murray who went onto receive the Nobel Prize for his work: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1990/murray/interview/

30/07/2025

Hats off to the measles vaccine!
It's like a superhero in a tiny vial, swooping in to protect you and those around you from a potentially lethal illness. Share with your friends and families! 💗💛💚

17/06/2025

Every machine in a Hospital that diagnoses your body without cutting you open is based on a principle of Physics, discovered by a Physicist who had no interest in Medicine.

If you think the world doesn’t need Basic Science, or that somehow Science has failed you, think again.

14/06/2025

that blood groups were discovered 124 years ago?

When a person loses lots of blood through accident or illness, it must be replenished. When transfusions from one person to another were first tried, however, the result was very often disastrous.

Medicine laureate Karl Landsteiner discovered why: when different people's blood was mixed, the blood cells sometimes clotted. He explained in 1901 that people have different types of blood cells, that is, there are different blood groups. This groundbreaking discovery paved the way to safe blood transfusions between people with compatible blood groups.

11/05/2025

We have now widened our course offering to include Level 2 Maths and English! 😃

05/04/2025

Niels Bohr’s groundbreaking paper proposing a new atomic model, 'On the constitution of atoms and molecules', is dated 5 April 1913.

The discoveries of the electron and radioactivity at the end of the 19th century led to different models for the structure of the atom. In 1913, Niels Bohr proposed a theory for the hydrogen atom based on quantum theory that energy is transferred only in certain well-defined quantities. Electrons should move around the nucleus but only in prescribed orbits. When jumping from one orbit to another with lower energy, a light quantum is emitted. Bohr's theory could explain why atoms emitted light in fixed wavelengths.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3n5CeXG

24/03/2025

On 24 March 1882, German physician Robert Koch announced the discovery of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) - a date marked by today.

In the 1800s, it is estimated that the disease caused a quarter of all deaths in Europe. Koch's discovery opened the way for diagnosis and cure, and during the 1900s, the mortality rate declined drastically due to research and the introduction of antibiotics.

One of the founders of bacteriology, Koch was awarded the 1905 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/49bojCE

14/02/2025

An array of imaging techniques

What's the difference between X-Ray, CT Scan, MRI, and more?

1) X-rays use electromagnetic radiation to produce images of bones and dense structures within the body. They are commonly used to detect fractures, infections, tumors, and other abnormalities. X-rays are fast, relatively affordable, and widely available.

2) CT scans utilize X-rays combined with advanced computer processing to create detailed cross-sectional images of the body. Unlike traditional X-rays, CT scans can capture bones, organs, blood vessels, and soft tissues, making them valuable for diagnosing internal injuries, tumors, infections, and blood clots.

3) MRI employs a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to generate highly detailed images of soft tissues, organs, and internal structures. It offers excellent contrast between different tissue types and is particularly useful for imaging the brain, spinal cord, joints, and muscles. Since MRI does not use ionizing radiation, it is a safer imaging option, especially for pregnant women and children. However, MRI scans take longer, are more expensive, and may not be suitable for individuals with certain medical implants or metal objects in their bodies.

4) A PET scan measures how active different areas of the brain are by detecting how much sugar they consume for energy. The scan highlights areas of high activity in bright colors, as regions using more sugar appear more intensely lit. Since cancer cells consume large amounts of sugar to fuel their rapid, uncontrolled growth, they appear as the brightest areas on a PET scan. This imaging technique is commonly used to detect cancerous cells in the body.

5) MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography) scans visualize blood flow within the brain's vascular system. It helps identify vessel narrowing, blockages, or other abnormalities in blood circulation.

Learn more: https://sdbif.org/whats-the-difference-between-all-the-different-head-scans/

Image: San Diego Brain Injury Foundation

30/01/2025

With UCAS – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

30/01/2025

With Nursing Times – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉