Medical Tracers Use Beta or Gamma Radiation

Question 1

What will beta and gamma penetrate?

Answer 1

The skin and other body tissue

Question 2

What does this make beta and gamma useful?

Answer 2

Medical tracers

Question 3

What is done with a source which emits beta or gamma radiation?

Answer 3

It is injected into the patient

Question 4

What does the radiators do in the body?

Answer 4

Penetrates then body tissues and can be detected externally

Question 5

What happens as the source moves around the body?

Answer 5

The radiographer uses a detector and a computer to monitor its progress on the display

Question 6

What do doctors use this method to check?

Answer 6

Whether the organs of the body are working as they should

Question 7

Why does the radioactive source have to have a short half-life?

Answer 7

So that initial levels are high enough to be easily detected, but the radioactivity inside the patient quickly disappears

Question 8

Why would an alpha source be worse than useless as a medical tracer?

Answer 8

• would be stoped by body’s tissues - you’d never detect it externally
• strong ionising power makes it really harmful if inside you