What Is Radiation?
Radiation is everywhere in the universe, since the beginning of time. Radiation is energy that comes from a source and travels in the form of waves or high speed particles. Radiation comes in different forms and is able to penetrate various materials. Radiation is mainly released from atoms, the smallest particle of matter or chemical element that can exist.
An atom is made up of three subatomic particles classified as protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and neutrons are situated in the central part of the atom called the nucleus and are surrounded by a halo of orbiting electrons. When radiation is emitted, it excites the orbiting electrons and causes them to vibrate.
There are two types of radiation: Ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. Non-ionizing radiation has a low energy level and therefore cannot change the chemical properties of a substance. Light waves, sound waves, microwaves, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, and radiowaves are examples of non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation has energy high enough to remove electrons from an atom to create an electrically charged ion. This ionization process often results in chemical changes in living tissues, which can lead to injury in the organism. Ionizing radiation is known as harmful radiation. Gamma rays, X-rays, alpha and beta particles are examples of ionizing radiation.
In ionizing radiation the energy emitted is very high in such a way that it excites the electrons which will then begin to vibrate. As they vibrate, the high energy that is being emitted to an atom will cause an electron to move from an occupied orbital into an empty, high energy orbital to form ions. The process of formation of ions is called ionization, therefo...
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...ancer and for killing other illnesses within the body. The procedure is termed radiotherapy. High dose of energy is aimed to a specific tumour to kill cells and stop them from dividing to spread.
Use in consumer products
Radioactive materials are used in some consumer products. These radioactive materials are safely designed and when used properly, it holds more benefits than the associated radiation risk. Some products used are smoke detectors, luminous signs and radioactive lightning conductors.
Industrial and agricultural applications
Gamma ray with its high penetrating power is used to view any defects in welds and metal castings.
In agricultural, radioisotopes are used as tracers. Fertilizers are doped with radioisotopes to determine the amount of fertilizer taken up by crops and the portion that is lost. Radiation can also be used to exterminate insects.
Radioactive Waste One of the most talked about opposition to nuclear fission is the radioactive waste it produces. Radioactive waste is what is left behind after using a reactor to make electricity. There are two levels of waste, low and high, but both are regulated by the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. High level waste is made up of fuel that’s been used directly in the reactor, which is highly radioactive but can still be disposed of. Low-level waste is the contaminated items that have been exposed to radiation.
There are essentially three main types of cancer treatments; surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Surgery allows doctors to effectively remove tumors from a clear plane. Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat the tumor; but often the drugs affect other healthy cells in the process. Using radiation as a treatment can be either precise or vague. Many health stigmas can come from the vague forms of radiation or conventional radiation therapy. Conventional radiation treats both the unhealthy and healthy cells, therefore exposing healthy cells to harmful radiation (Radiation Oncology, 2011, p.6). When healthy cells are exposed to gamma radiation they are also exposed to ionizing radiation. The ionization can cause “breakage of chemical bonds or oxidization (addition of oxygen atoms)” in a cell; the main impact of this is on a cell’s DNA, if two strands of DNA break it can result in “mutations, chromosome aberrations, ...
Radiation is something that the naked eye cannot see, yet has the potential to save lives one treatment at a time or even one image at a time. Since the discovery of x-rays in 1895, it has branched out into numerous modalities each independently specializing in their own ways. X rays are used to aid in the diagnosis and treatments of patients on a case by case scenario. Sometimes doctors can make a diagnosis on the same day or conclude that a patient will require radiation therapy within weeks to follow. Whatever it may be, the importance of x rays and radiation itself is a crucial part of the medical field when it comes to saving lives. Initially it all started with the discovery of x rays but then three years later radiation therapy was introduced to aid with
Radiation has always been in everyday life even before Roentgen discovered x-ray. The mountains give off natural radiation, other forms of radiation are coal burning power plants, x-rays from a TV, and an airplane ride. The average dose from background radiation is about 360 mrem every year. There are two types of radiation, nonionizing and ionizing radiation. Examples of nonionizing radiation are microwaves and radio waves broadcasting. Ionizing radiation refers to gamma and x-rays. Ionizing radiation means that the rays are able to remove an electron from the atom then ions can be formed. The ions can cause damage when reacting with other atoms. Cells are able to be repaired if low dose are received. However, if cells get a high dose, the cells will be damaged or possibly die. If the cell is damaged permanently then it is referred to as a mutated cell.
If one is affected by cancer, there are treatments to help take away this illness affecting their body. This essay is about a specific type of treatment for cancer, radiation therapy. There are different types of forms of particles for radiation, for example, protons and waves like x-rays and visible light. These types of radiations are grouped on how much energy they contain because they can cause different effects. A low type of energy radiation can be radio waves and heat, also known as non-ionizing radiation.
An atom, by definition, is the smallest part of any substance. The atom has three main components that make it up: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons are within the nucleus in the center of the atom. The electrons revolve around the nucleus in many orbitals. These orbitals consist of many different shapes, including circular, spiral, and many others.
What is Radiation? Radiation is a A form of energy carried by waves or a stream of particles. Radiation is a fragment that is capable of ionizing atoms or molecules isolating electrons from them due to its sufficiently possessed energy when it is passed through them. Radiations include alpha, beta and gamma rays. They can cause severe damage when absorbed by living tissue, and are therefore a health hazard they can effect the repairing ability of living cells. Ionizing radiation consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that are energetic enough to detach
In dentistry there is a need for taking an x-ray, the x-ray is a way to help the dentist diagnose a patients oral hygiene and to see if there are any other areas in the mouth that may need to have any type of work. The dentist or the assistant will want to make sure that they can get all the teeth possible in the radiograph (x-ray) as possible to reduce the amount of exposure to the patient. Most people will have exposure to radiation just from standing outside in the sun for a long period of time, which is what we call “background exposure”.
Ultraviolet radiation is a type of energy, usually heat or light, that travels through space. The natural source of UV rays come from the sun, but it came be produced artificially through lamps and laser beams. http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/uv.html Gamma rays are the strongest form of radiation. This is why nuclear rays are very dangerous. Gamma rays destroy human and animal tissue and cause harmful mutations. When there is a high amount of gamma rays present, it will kill any, if not all, life forms in a small amount of time. Gamma rays are a type of pure energy. They can be discovered j...
To understand what a radioactive isotope is a basic understanding of the atom is necessary. Atoms are comprised of three subatomic particles : protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and neutrons bind together to form the nucleus of the atom, while the electrons surround and orbit the nucleus. Protons and electrons have opposite charges and therefore attract one another (electrons are negative and protons are positive, and opposite charges attract), and in most cases the number of electrons and protons are the same for an atom (making the atom neutral in charge). The neutrons are neutral. Their purpose in the nucleus is to bind protons together. Because the protons all have the same charge and would naturally repel one another, the neutrons act as "glue" to hold the protons tightly together in the nucleus.
Radiation therapists work closely with patients to fight cancer. According to Health Care Careers, Oncologists, Dosimetrists and nurses are some of the professionals that a radiation therapist works with while caring for a cancer patient. This group of professionals will determine a specialized treatment plan. The first step usually includes a CT scan performed by a radiologist to find the exact area that needs to be targeted with x-rays. Next, the therapist uses a special machine that emits radiation called a Linear Accelerator. They use this machine during a treatment called external beam therapy. During this process, the Linear Accelerator will project x-rays at targeted cancer cells or tumors. Another therapist will be in a different room monitoring the patient’s viral signs until the procedure is over. The external therapy l...
A radioisotope is an isotope that emits radiation as it has nuclear instability(Prostate Cancer; Fusion imaging helps target greater doses of radiation).Those who are not too familiar with radioisotopes may think their use is for harmful radiation, nuclear weapons, and the possibility of turning into a giant, raging, green monster. However, there are much more positive uses for radioisotopes. There have been many medical advances thanks to the benefit and practice of radioisotopes in nuclear medicine. These advances have been able to diagnose and treat a variety of diseases.
Alpha radiation/emission - Alpha particles are the nuclei of a Helium atom 42He. Consisting of two protons and two neutrons, positively charged.
Wilhelm Roentgen discovered radiation which is also known as x-ray in 1895. Radiation is energy turned into waves or particles in
The impact of nuclear power on the modern world has improved Various sectors of the economy and society .i.e. Food and Agriculture, Insect control, Food Preservation, Water Resources, Military, Medicine, Research and Industry. “In 1911 George de Hevesy conducted the first application of a radioisotope. At the time de Hevesy was a young Hungarian student working in Manchester with naturally radioactive materials. Not having much money he lived in modest accommodation and took his meals with his landlady. He began to suspect that some of the meals that appeared regularly might be made from leftovers from the preceding days or even weeks, but he could never be sure. To try and confirm his suspicions de Hevesy put a small amount of radioactive material into the remains of a meal. Several days later when the same dish was served again he used a simple radiation detection instrument - a gold leaf electroscope - to check if the food was radioactive. It was, and de Hevesy's suspicions were confirmed.