Uses of nuclear radiation

• • Gamma rays used in medical tracers
  • Radioactive isotopes injected in person and tracked with external detector
  • Traces have short half life so radioactivity quickly disappears
  • E.g iodine-123 absorbed by thyroid - can detect whether iodine being taken into thyroid normally
• • Medical tracers can cause:
  • Tissue damage - ionise atoms in cells
  • Can mutate cells
• • Gamma rays used in radiotherapy
  • Directed at cancer cell and right dosage is used
  • Damage to normal cells - radiation sickeness
• • Tracers can diagnose life-threatening conditions
  • Risk of cancer from tracer is very small
  • Prolonged exposure to radiation can cause side effec