Because it was in the 1950's or so, maybe the late 1940's, that people started to discover lithium, even though it had no natural function, it did do something in our bodies.

因为在二十世纪五十年代左右，可能是四十年代末期，人们开始发现锂，尽管不参与人体的正常生理活动，但是它确实会对我们的身体产生影响。

麻省理工公开课 - 化学原理课程节选

It turns out there's actually no natural function known in the body for lithium.

事实上我们已知的身体机能,在正常情况下根本不需要锂。

麻省理工公开课 - 化学原理课程节选

They prevent the ligand from reaching its natural receptor, and so that antagonizes or inhibits the function of the natural ligand.

它们能够阻止配体与受体的结合,这样就拮抗或者说是抑制了配体的功能

耶鲁公开课 - 生物医学工程探索课程节选

Then maybe those new cells you put in would function as a totally natural artificial pancreas.

那些新植入的细胞可能会起到,与健康个体的胰腺细胞相同的作用

耶鲁公开课 - 生物医学工程探索课程节选

And it's important innovation in several different ways and we're going to talk about this whole science of building artificial organs, devices that are made out of totally synthetic components to replace the function of your natural organs, and the artificial heart is a good example of that.

在很多方向上也做出了重要的创新,我们会讲到,制造人造器官的技术原理,这些装置完全用合成材料制成,能够取代人体器官的功能,人造心脏就是一个很好的范例

耶鲁公开课 - 生物医学工程探索课程节选