Essay On Radioisotopes

If atoms have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons then it is an isotope. Isotopes can be found all over the world because they possess many different uses and have an impact all over the world, they can be found in things such as batteries, smoke detectors and radiopharmaceuticals. Their uses in medicine can be seen to some as quite controversial and even dangerous whereas others will argue that they provide more help than harm. This essay will discuss the effect radioisotopes have on medicine and their ethical impact to the patients.

An element’s isotopes have the same number of protons, meaning they have the same atomic number but they have different masses because they have a different number of neutrons, this

These radiopharmaceuticals are used in three main different medical procedures. They can be used to diagnose patients by the patient ingesting radioactive materials and then these materials emit radiation in the form of alpha or beta particles in the affected areas, these areas can be seen to doctors on different imaging tests and screens. This works best with the thyroid, heart, liver, and many other organs. Another way that radiation can be used in medicine is when treating patients by destroying or shrinking malfunctioning cells. The organ can be exposed to a particular isotope which will then destroy the bad cells. The other way that radioisotopes are used in medicine is by sterilizing the medical equipment. It is essential that in hospitals all the equipment used is clean otherwise diseases and infections can be passed from patient to patient through the equipment. For this reason, it is very important that all medical equipment has been sterilized before usage. Radiation can kill the microorganisms on medical equipment. More than half of the sterilized equipment in hospitals in the USA has been exposed to radiation. Once this has been done to the equipment its shelf life is much longer than