3 Medical uses of Radiation By: Tiffany Crable

Use of X-Rays X-ray is used in mainly in a hospital facility X-rays in hospital use is to reveal the architecture of the bone and to see other soft tissues, as well as to if their any other abnormalities in the form of a fracture, growth of tumors, etc. It is also used in dental imaging to show the structure of a person’s teeth and gums and to see if there is any bad framework that needs to be reconstructed Another form of X-ray is a radiological technique, this form can be swallowed or injected and it is used to see if there is anything wrong with the organs. Its main function is to help doctors see inside that specific organ, so to make sure there are hopefully no abnormalities that cannot be found with an ordinary X-ray.

Radiation Corresponding in frequencies in range of 30 PHz to 30 EHz. X-ray is primarily used for diagnostic radiography and crystallography. X-rays are also a form of ionizing radiation and such can be dangerous.

Isotopes in X-Rays X-rays are generated by directing a stream a high speed of electrons at a target material. When the electrons are slowed or stopped by the interaction with the atomic particle of the target, then X-radiation is produced. The X-ray tube is heated with a low-voltage current of a few amps. The filament heats up and the electrons in the wire become loosely held. A large electrical potential is created by the high-voltage generator, electrons break free of the cathode and are strongly attracted to anode target.

Good Use X-rays are a good use in the medical field because it can help doctors figure out what is going on in our bodies. It also helps them understand the structure frame that might damage, so they know what they need to do in order to repair it. X-rays let the person being checked also know what is going on in their bodies and how they can find ways to fix themselves, health wise.

Bad Effects X-rays are also bad for us; they weaken our immunity system because of its radioactive rays. Before they came out with radiation safety in X-rays, doctors and their patients were getting radiation sickness.

Cancer Treatment This is what advanced cancer look like

How this works? There are many forms of cancer treatment. One way is chemotherapy and this is used as a form to treat cancer-using drugs that have direct tumor-killing properties. Chemotherapy is an area of drugs that are constantly being developed. These test include new anticancer drugs with combinations on drugs on untested types of cancer, such as treatments involving drugs with surgery/radiation.

Science Radiation used in cancer treatments is called ionizing radiation because it forms ions in the cells of the tissue as it passes through it dislodges electrons from atoms. This can kill the cells in the gene that the cell cannot grow. There is photons and particle radiation. There are different levels of ionizing radiation and the doctor picks the different levels of treatment depending on the level of cancer the patient has. The more common energy radiation are: High-energy photon- come from radioactive sources such as cobalt or cesium. Electron beams or particle beams-produced by linear accelerator. Particle beams-are a newer form of particle beam radiation. Neutron beam-are used for cancers in the neck, head, and prostate, can be helpful if other forms doesn’t work.

Isotopes There are over 10,000 hospitals in the world that use radioisotopes and are for diagnosis. The most common type of radioisotope used in diagnosis is technetium-99. In developed countries the frequency of diagnostic of nuclear medicine is 1.9% per year, and the frequency of therapy with radioisotopes is one-tenth this number.

Helpful A good thing about cancer treatments is that it can help a person dispose of some of the cancer in their bodies. Another thing is it can help doctors make their patients feel at ease to know they have options in if they want help or not.

Issues The bad thing about cancer treatment is that the people are being exposed to different forms of ionizing radiation and they have no idea what that is doing to their internal insides. Also with the therapy the people with cancer have a better chance of getting other health effects.

MRI This is where you go to get a full image body exam.

Medical uses A MRI is primarily a medical imaging technique used commonly in radiology to visualize the internal structure and function of the body. MRI provides much greater between different soft tissues of the body than computed tomography.

Nuclear Radiation The MRI scan uses magnetic and radio waves, meaning that there is no exposure to X-ray or any other damaging forms of radiation. NMRI machines used in medical fields expose patients to static and time-varying magnetic fields and radioactive fields. Magnetic fields intensities are approximately 2 Telsa or 20,000 gauss.

Good use The good use of an MRI is that is can help doctors get a 3D view of the inside of your body things. Something else good about the MRI is that can help the police take down suspects.

Effective usage The bad of an MRI is that people get claustrophobic when they are in the machine and they have to get drugs to get in it. There is nothing that really can harm you in an MRI scanner because there is so little radiation to it.

References http://www.google.com/ www.medindia.net www.wikianswers.com http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Radiography/EquipmentMaterials/xrayGenerators.htm http://www.healthcastle.com/chemo.shtml http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf55.html http://www.state.nj.us/dep//rpp/nrs/mri.htm