Uses of radioisotopes

Answer 1

• used to treat skin diseases
• to determine the age of fossils
• to sterilize food stuffs
• to sterilize surgical instruments
• used as a tracer in diagnosing diseases
• to produce high yielding seeds
• to determine the efficiency of thyroid gland, kidneys etc.
• to identify the defects in metal castings and pipes
• used as a tracer to determine the effects of chemical substances in plants and animals

Answer 2

Radioisotopes can be picked up by PET scans, & so they're used in some medical investigations; here are two examples: # Radioisotopes injected into the blood stream to show which parts of the brain are most active (& therefore demand the greatest supply of blood) during a certain task. # A radioisotope attached to a molecule (e.g. a drug) which is known to bind only to certain receptor sites in the body; the PET scan can show where those receptor sites are, or whether there are the expected number of such sites present.

Answer 3

Although different isotopes of an element exhibit identical chemical behavior, they differ in physical behavior. Many of them are unstable and decay (break down) to more stable isotopes by giving off radiation.
Unstable isotopes are therefore called radioisotopes, and the process of decay is called radioactivity. Every element has at least one radioisotope.

Answer 4

The idea of function is one which describes something in relationship to an intention. For example what is the function of the leg- it is to provide a basis for support and movement. What is the function of a door, it is to allow people to come and go through a wall whilst maintaining airtightness and privacy at other times. In this sense a radio active isotope does not have a function it just is, unless it is used specifically for some end as in medicine, or an experiment of some sort or warfare.