生物医学工程（BME）在工程学科中是独一无二的，因为它在历史上一直处理分析和观察问题，而不是处理合成和构建问题。因此，在机械或电气工程中，目标一直是设计和建造桥梁，飞机，计算机或通信网络。另一方面，在BME中，传统上是对现有系统进行测量和操作，而不是从头开始构建。因此，细胞培养物由置于有利条件下以产生所需行为的已知细胞系组成，人造心脏和肾脏已经以事后方式开发，例如通过从现有器官中去除细胞并通过操纵干细胞以分化来浸润其余结构。变成所需的细胞类型。
Biomedical engineering (BME) is unique in the engineering disciplines in that it has historically dealt with analysis and observation, rather than synthesis and construction. Thus in mechanical or electrical engineering, the goal has always been to design and construct bridges, airplanes, computers or communications networks. In BME, on the other hand, traditionally existing systems are measured and manipulated rather than being constructed from scratch. Thus cell cultures consist of known cell lines placed under conducive conditions to produce a desired behavior, and artificial hearts and kidneys have been developed in post hoc ways such as by removing cells from an existing organ and infiltrating the remaining structure with stem cells manipulated to differentiate into a desired cell type.