Earlier this century, few could have possibly imagined the possibility of being able to put a few cells into a petri-dish full of nutrients and watch it grow into a full organ. Therefore, when people lost the use of their organs, through disease or otherwise, death was quick to come. However, a dedicated scientists before the war envisioned the possibility of using mechanical implements to substitute the organ, or at least until it was functioning once more. His name was Willem Kolff. Today, the field of [biomedical engineering] (also called 'bionics') encompasses [dialysis] machines, heart-lung machines, artificial livers and the such. Along similar lines, the field of prosthetics has also grown, from simple hooks and wooden pegs, to myo-electric arms capable of lifting a sizable load. It is hoped that with these artificial substitutes, that people may live more or less normal lives - something not even dreamt of, a century ago. Bionics
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