Cells are the basic unit of all known life. If cells interest you, you might want to consider one of the following careers.
Ever wonder what happens to the blood your doctor collects during your annual physical? It goes to a laboratory technician. Laboratory technicians perform routine procedures using microscopes, computers, and other equipment. Many laboratory technicians work in the medical field, evaluating and analyzing test results.
The images in Figure 7–3 were captured by a microscopist. Microscopists make it possible to study structures too small to be seen without magnification. There are a variety of microscopy techniques, including staining and fluorescence, that microscopists can use to make images clear and informative for researchers. Some of these images are so striking that they have become a form of scientific art.
Pathologists are like detectives: They collect cellular information and tissue evidence to diagnose illness. Using a broad knowledge of disease characteristics and the best-available technology, pathologists analyze cells and tissues under a microscope and discuss their diagnoses with other doctors.
Dr. Tanasa Osborne, Veterinary Pathologist
Dr. Tanasa Osborne studies osteosarcoma, the most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Her research with the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute is focused on improving outcomes for patients whose cancer has spread from one organ or system to another. Dr. Osborne is not a medical doctor, however—she is a veterinarian. Animals are often used as models to study human disease. Dr. Osborne's research, therefore, contributes to both animal and human health. Veterinary pathologists investigate many important issues in addition to cancer, including West Nile virus, avian flu, and other emerging infectious diseases that affect humans as well as animals.
“My distinctive background allows me to approach science from a global (or cross-species) and systemic perspective.”
Explain how Dr. Osborne's research is an example of the effect science can have on society.