What is radioactive Isotopes? and what is it for.?

Question

This is a medical QUESTION

Answer 1

Isotopes mean the atoms of a certain element have different numbers of neutrons.

For example, C-14 is different from C-12 because of different numbers of neutrons. C-14 is radioactive, while C-12 is not. Thus, C-14 is used for radio-carbon dating. C-14 has 2 more neutrons that C-12. The extra neutrons make the atoms less stable, so they emit radiation. This is the basic idea behind isotopes.

In medicine, different isotopes are used. I believe Iodine and Strontium are some common isotopes that are used but there are many more. The isotopes are needed because they emit the radiation that will produce the image. In certain procedures, (PET scanning), patients will ingest the radioactive isotope. The scanner detects the location of the isotope, resulting in an image. The radiation is minute, so there is little harm to the patient.

Answer 2

Radioisotopes are used for two main purposes in medicine. One is for imaging, as someone else already pointed out. A radioactive dye is put into the part of your body that needs to be clearly seen, then when images are taken, it stands out clearly.

Another purpose is for cancer therapy. Much more powerful radioisotopes are put into the body temporarily (they are sealed in glass capsules) to expose the tumor to radiation which will kill the tumor without hurting the rest of the body as much. Depending on the location of the tumor in the body, the isotope may even be placed outside the body and moved around so that the radiation can be focused on the tumor. (The whole idea is to limit the exposure of healthy cells to the radiation.)

A radioactive isotope is a version of an atom that has extra neutrons in the nucleus. That is what makes atoms radioactive. Some isotopes are not radioactive. Others are, and the atoms keep splitting and giving off high-speed, high-energy particles until all the atoms have decayed into non-radioactive ones.

The word isotope means something like the same form. If it wasn't for the radioactivity, we would hardly be able to tell the difference between most radioactive isotopes and the non-radioactive isotope of the same element. Radioactive copper and non-radioactive copper look the same, conduct electricity the same and weigh nearly the same. The tiny, tiny weight differences are due to the extra neutrons.

Answer 3

I know that they are used in Nuclear Medicine (imaging) but not much more than that,