Why was hydrogen selected for use in MRI?

Hydrogen is abundant inside the human body, which makes it an excellent choice for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The human body is composed largely of water (H2O), and since hydrogen atoms are a primary component of water and fat within the body, there is a high concentration of hydrogen available for imaging. This abundance enables MRI machines to generate strong signals when imaging body tissues, making the resulting images detailed and informative.

The presence of hydrogen not only increases the efficiency of signal generation but also contributes to the versatility of MRI in examining various tissues due to differences in hydrogen density across different types of tissues. This characteristic is particularly useful in clinical settings for identifying abnormalities in organs and tissues. Therefore, the selection of hydrogen in MRI is fundamentally tied to its prevalence in biological structures, which enhances the imaging process significantly.