Introduction
Engineering is the application of physical and mathematical sciences in order to create, design, and innovate structures, processes, and tools to make human living more comfortable and simpler. In the recent years, the study of engineering has been further subdivided into separate disciplines depending on the principle and material that is being utilized to create a new invention. Because of this, biological engineering and biomedical engineering both surfaced as the new frontiers in the field of engineering. Biological engineering and biomedical are both highly advanced sciences that helped shaped the modern world that we live in. These fields contributed to advancements in the field of biological science and medical sciences.
Bioengineering
Bioengineering is also known as biological engineering, biological systems engineering and biotechnological engineering. This is a discipline that studies the application of principles and methods of mathematics, chemistry, physics and computer sciences in order to analyze and design new processes or tools to bridge gaps in life sciences. For some experts in the field, bioengineering represents a broad specialty that covers biomedical engineering, medical engineering and biochemical engineering. Compared to biomedical engineers, bioengineers focus on creating new products such as pharmaceutical products, food supplements, preservatives, bio-nanotechnology, and biomass-based energy through utilizing basic concepts and processes in the biological science. Fundamental engineering principles such as thermodynamics, kinetics, separation and purification methods, polymeric science, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer and surface phenomena are used in innovation and design of new products. Bioengineering is further subdivided into the following specialties: Food and biological process engineering, agricultural engineering and natural resource engineering.
Food and Biological Process Engineering
This is the specialty of bioengineering that focuses on understanding basic application of engineering principles to food processes. Under this branch, the following specialties are included: Microbiological engineering, Food processing and Bio-energy. Examples of food engineering studies include heat and mass transport phenomenon in food systems, energy conservation through modifications in food processing and biomaterial fluid dynamics.
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural engineering is the application of fundamental principles of engineering for efficient production and processing of food, fiber, and biofuel. This specialty is further subdivided into the study of agricultural machinery and machinery systems, structural design and analysis, environmental sciences, plant biology, soil science and animal science. Agricultural engineers are design agricultural practices and tools, which increases the productivity and harvest in the field of agriculture.
Natural Resource Engineering
Natural resource engineering applies the fundamental principles of engineering to the protection the environment and natural resources from possible degradation and pollutants. Natural resource engineers study water and soil engineering, stream restoration, bioremediation, storm water and erosion control facility design, land-base waste disposal systems and modeling of watershed systems.
Biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering utilizes fundamental principles of biological sciences, medical sciences and engineering to improve human health. In integrates engineering sciences with biomedical sciences and clinical practice. This discipline is concerned with understanding and acquiring new knowledge of living systems through analytical and experimental methodologies based on engineering principles. Moreover, biomedical engineering focuses on the production of new systems, tools and processes that improves the discipline of medicine and biology for better delivery of quality health care.
Branches of Biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering has several sub disciplines: systems biology and bioinformatics, physiological modeling, biomechanics, biomedical instrumentation and biomedical sensors, biomedical imaging, bio molecular engineering and biotechnology and artificial organs. Systems biology and bioinformatics focuses on modeling of new cellular networks, DNA sequence analysis and microarray technology. Physiological modeling studies the physiology of excitable cells, dynamics of the microcirculation, models of cellular mechanics and pharmacokinetic models of medications. Biomechanics involve the innovation of prosthetic joints and limbs and the study of gait analysis. Biomedical instrumentation and biomedical sensors study the clinical monitors such as echocardiogram, oxygen sensor, glucose meters and cardiac pacemakers. Biomedical imaging is concerned with radiographic imaging, optical imaging, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Bio molecular engineering and biotechnology studies drug delivery systems, protein engineering, vaccines, tissue engineering and separation methods. Artificial organs study the design of biomaterials that may be used to create new organs or systems that mimic its function.
Conclusion
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering are two important advancements if the field of science and technology. Both of these sciences utilize basic engineering principles, which involve the use of analysis and systematic processes in designing new materials that will help solve basic problems in the life sciences. However, they these disciplines differ in focus. Bioengineering is a broader field of study, which includes biomedical engineering within its realm. Bioengineering focuses on the application of engineering on biological processes, food, agriculture and environmental processes. On the other hand, biomedical engineering is focus on the application of engineering to biological and medical sciences to improve healthcare delivery systems. Compared to bioengineering, biomedical engineering has more complex subdivisions, which focuses on particulate field of study in order to improve human health.