X- rays + gamma rays

What are x-rays used for?

medical imaging allows us to view the internal structure of things

how do X-rays work in medical imaging?

1. fires X-rays at a person's body and recording the ones that get through using a detector plate

2. works as X-rays are absorbed by dense materials such as bone, but will be able to pass through the parts that are mostly air like our lungs and intestines, they'll only partially pass through fleshy parts eg. heart

3. the images start off completely white and go black if that area if the detector plate receives radiation, so it's only our bones that appear white and everything else is black or a shade of grey

Why are gamma rays dangerous and why do we still use them

ionising radiation which can damage our cells and lead to cancer, however it also helps us to diagnose + treat diseases so it's worth the risk

what are the three uses of gamma rays

sterilisation ( medicine) - boiling water can be used but it may damage the tool if it's plastic ( they melt) but gamma rays don't do any damage at all

used in medical imaging/treating cancer using radiotherapy

sterilisation ( food) - can kill microorganisms without causing any other damage