Structural Medical Imaging and Functional Medical Imaging
Structural Imaging
Photos taken to obtain structural/anatomical information inside the human body are called structural imaging. They are taken to check for lesions such as fractures or tumors. Usually, when people mention taking photos at a hospital, it refers to this.
Functional Imaging
Photos taken to obtain functional information about the body are called functional imaging. Here, functional does not relate to functions or [functionals] as mentioned in mathematics, but rather it means ‘functional’ in the literal English sense. It is useful for diagnosing metabolic diseases or in research related to psychiatry and neurology.
From functional imaging, information such as blood flow and the level of brain activity can be obtained. Hence, it is usefully employed in brain research.