Final answer:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging modality that utilizes radio waves and magnetic fields instead of ionizing radiation to create detailed images of the body, providing a safe alternative to X-rays and related techniques.
Step-by-step explanation:
An imaging modality that uses no ionizing radiation and the energy of radio waves and magnetic fields is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). MRI is a pioneering medical imaging technique that generates detailed two- and three-dimensional images of the human body. Developed based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), MRI uses an externally applied magnetic field and radio waves to interact with the hydrogen nuclei (protons) in the body, which are then absorbed and reemitted in a resonance process. Since MRI does not involve ionizing radiation, it presents no radiation exposure risk to the patient, unlike X-ray based imaging modalities. The use of MRI became clinically widespread in the early 1980s and has since evolved significantly, largely due to advancements in digital computing and electronics.