Radio isotopes: The help and the hurt
Radio isotopes are used constantly in the medical and industrial world. They can be useful when diagnosing human and other animals with diseases, and in treating them for many diseases. However, the use of radioisotopes can increase the demand for nuclear power, and have many negative side effects on humans and other organisms. Many radio isotopes are relatively harmless in the body. They can be used to view the inside of your body, allowing doctors to view organs and see potential health problems quicker. Isotopes can be given by mouth, through injection, or inhalation. Once in the body, radio isotopes give off small amounts of radiation that can be read by a camera. A computer puts all of these little points of radiation together to make a picture. Radio isotope imaging is used by more than 10,000 hospitals worldwide and has become a valuable tool in the detection of many diseases. …show more content…
When cells rapidly divide (as is the case with cancerous growths) they become more susceptible to radiation. doctors can target a specific area in the body with a small amount of radiation, and cancerous cells can be killed while leaving the surrounding tissue intact. This can be done using a machine which sends rays of radiation, usually gamma, to the specific areas of cancer cells in the body or through the input of nuclear isotopes.
A negative side effect of radiation therapy is the damage it certainly causes to the surrounding tissue. Even as medical science improvements have made targeting and delivery of these isotopes more precise, it is not possible to administer ionizing radiation to cancerous tissue without harming nearby healthy tissue. This can result in mild to severe side effects for the patient. These side effects can range from fatigue to vomiting and more, depending on the level of
Radio isotopes are used constantly in the medical and industrial world. They can be useful when diagnosing human and other animals with diseases, and in treating them for many diseases. However, the use of radioisotopes can increase the demand for nuclear power, and have many negative side effects on humans and other organisms. Many radio isotopes are relatively harmless in the body. They can be used to view the inside of your body, allowing doctors to view organs and see potential health problems quicker. Isotopes can be given by mouth, through injection, or inhalation. Once in the body, radio isotopes give off small amounts of radiation that can be read by a camera. A computer puts all of these little points of radiation together to make a picture. Radio isotope imaging is used by more than 10,000 hospitals worldwide and has become a valuable tool in the detection of many diseases. …show more content…
When cells rapidly divide (as is the case with cancerous growths) they become more susceptible to radiation. doctors can target a specific area in the body with a small amount of radiation, and cancerous cells can be killed while leaving the surrounding tissue intact. This can be done using a machine which sends rays of radiation, usually gamma, to the specific areas of cancer cells in the body or through the input of nuclear isotopes.
A negative side effect of radiation therapy is the damage it certainly causes to the surrounding tissue. Even as medical science improvements have made targeting and delivery of these isotopes more precise, it is not possible to administer ionizing radiation to cancerous tissue without harming nearby healthy tissue. This can result in mild to severe side effects for the patient. These side effects can range from fatigue to vomiting and more, depending on the level of