Overview
Nuclear chemistry and the chemistry of radioisotopes is very important in modern medicine, with a
range of uses from diagnostics such as tracers and PET scans, to radiotherapy and biochemical
analysis.
Read the PDF given on Blackboard (Medical Isotopes: General Concepts) as well as lecture notes
provided (section 3, slides 165 to the end) and the relevant chapter of the textbook.
- Briefly describe what an isotope is, and what is meant by radioactive isotopes.
- With examples, explain the difference between alpha, beta and gamma emission.
- Explain the difference between diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes.
- Choose a diagnostic and a therapeutic isotope and give it’s symbol, decay type and current
use.