ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Biomedical spectroscopy

Hello there, kiddo!

So, biomedical spectroscopy is a big word that can be broken down into two parts: "biomedical" and "spectroscopy". Let's start with "biomedical" - this means anything related to the study of life and living things. Spectroscopy, on the other hand, is the science of studying light.

Now, when we put these two things together, biomedical spectroscopy means using light to study living things. But, why would anyone want to do that?

Well, scientists use biomedical spectroscopy to learn more about the chemicals, molecules, and cells inside our bodies. By shining light on these things and seeing how the light reacts, they can learn about their properties and functions.

There are many different types of spectroscopy, but some common ones used in biomedical research include infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Infrared spectroscopy uses infrared light to study the chemical makeup of a substance. By analyzing how the light interacts with the chemicals, scientists can identify what molecules are present.

Raman spectroscopy also studies chemical makeup, but instead of using infrared light, it uses laser light. This allows scientists to see the unique vibrations of different molecules.

Fluorescence spectroscopy is used to study the behavior of cells and biomolecules. When certain substances absorb light, they emit a different color of light. By measuring this color change, scientists can learn about how the molecules are behaving.

Overall, biomedical spectroscopy is a really cool tool that helps scientists learn more about the tiny things inside our bodies. It's like shining a flashlight into a dark room and discovering all sorts of new things!