Concept explainers
To explain several ways in which nuclear
Explanation of Solution
Nuclear medicine in different ways uses radioactive isotopes.
One of the most common uses is a tracer in which a radioisotope like technetium-99 m is taken orally or injected into the body or inhaled. The radioisotope then circulates through the body or only some tissues absorb it. Its distribution can be tracked by the radiation it discharges.
Depending on the radioisotope used, the emitted radiation can be captured by various imaging techniques, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET). Physicians can examine the blood flow to certain organs and evaluate the organ function or bone growth through such imaging.
Radioisotope therapeutic applications are typically aimed at destroying the target cells. This approach forms the basis of radiotherapy, which is commonly used to treat cancer and other tissue growth conditions, such as hyperthyroidism.
In medicine, there are many uses of radiation. The most commonly known is that x-rays are used to see if bones are broken. The large area of radiographic use is called radiology. In radiology, we find more specialized areas such as mammography, computerized tomography (CT) and nuclear medicine (the specialty that usually injects radioactive material into the patient). Cardiology is another area of x-ray use, where special x-ray images are taken from the heart.
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