Different chemical forms are used for brain, bone, liver, spleen and kidney imaging and also for blood flow studies. Used to locate leaks in industrial pipe lines…and in oil well studies. Used in nuclear medicine for nuclear cardiology and tumor detection. Used to study bone formation and metabolism.

What are the four uses of radioactivity?

Today, to benefit humankind, radiation is used in medicine, academics, and industry, as well as for generating electricity. In addition, radiation has useful applications in such areas as agriculture, archaeology (carbon dating), space exploration, law enforcement, geology (including mining), and many others.

Why are isotopes important in medicine?

Radioisotopes are an essential part of medical diagnostic procedures. In combination with imaging devices which register the gamma rays emitted from within, they can study the dynamic processes taking place in various parts of the body.

Which isotopes are used in medicine?

The radioisotope most widely used in medicine is Tc-99, employed in some 80% of all nuclear medicine procedures. It is an isotope of the artificially-produced element technetium and it has almost ideal characteristics for a nuclear medicine scan, such as with SPECT.

Why are isotopes important in everyday life?

Isotopes of an element all have the same chemical behavior, but the unstable isotopes undergo spontaneous decay during which they emit radiation and achieve a stable state. This property of radioisotopes is useful in food preservation, archaeological dating of artifacts and medical diagnosis and treatment.

What is the effect of radiation on human body?

Radiation can damage the DNA in our cells. High doses of radiation can cause Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) or Cutaneous Radiation Injuries (CRI). High doses of radiation could also lead to cancer later in life.

How are isotopes used in the human body?

Stable isotopes have been used as tracers in human nutritional studies for many years. A number of isotopes have been used frequently to assess body composition, energy expenditure, protein turnover and metabolic studies in general, such as deuterium (2Hydrogen), 18Oxygen, 13Carbon and 15Nitrogen.

What are isotopes give two importance?

An isotope is just a name for a different version of a nucleus. In nature, nuclei of atoms have in them neutrons and protons; the number of protons determines what element it is. For example, calcium is calcium because there are 20 protons in the nucleus. The number of neutrons determines what the isotope is.

Is banana a radioactive fruit?

Bananas are slightly radioactive because they are rich in potassium, and one of its natural isotopes (variants) is potassium-40, which is radioactive.

Why is isotopes important in medicine?

Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals can be used to examine blood flow to the brain, functioning of the liver, lungs, heart, or kidneys, to assess bone growth, and to confirm other diagnostic procedures. Another important use is to predict the effects of surgery and assess changes since treatment.