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Nuclear medicine is a field of medicine that uses radioactive substances to diagnose and treat injuries and diseases, and also to understand how the body works.
- Words:
- 1410
- Submitted:
- Tue Dec 02 2003

... Nuclear medicine is a field of medicine that uses radioactive substances to diagnose and treat injuries and diseases, and also to understand how the body works. Radioisotopes give doctors the ability to look inside the body and observe soft tissues and organs in a manner similar to x-rays. Many radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine are gamma ray emitters - such as Iodine 131 and Technetium 99m, used for their penetrating abilities and low ionising ability. However, when ionisation of cells is required - for example, when treating some cancers, alpha emitters are often used. The basis of nuclear medicine was discovered 100 years ago. Famous personalities such as Alexander Graham Bell suggested placing radioactive sources near tumours to treat them, and as early as 1905, radiation was used to treat thyroid disease. The 20s and 30s were times of rapid development in nuclear medicine. Radioactive phosphorus was given to animals,














