Physics GCSE
medical tracers
What medical tracers means in Physics GCSE, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of medical tracers
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Reference: AQA
A gamma-emitting isotope is taken into the body and followed by a detector outside it, building an image of how an organ is working.
A tracer uses a short half-life isotope so its activity falls quickly once the scan is done, limiting the patient's dose.
Topics that use medical tracers
- Different half-lives of radioactive isotopes (AQA GCSE)
- Uses of nuclear radiation (AQA GCSE)
Related terms
- activity against duration
- activity and half-life
- gamma cameras
- hazard over time
- radiotherapy
- reaching a conclusion
- unit conversion
- waste storage
Using medical tracers in the exam
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