MTEL Physics Practice Exam

Category - Physics

Which of the following is a significant advantage of using radioactive tracers in nuclear medicine?
  1. The radiation passes through the less dense matter such as skin and muscle and is absorbed by denser material such as bone.
  2. The physiological function of organs can be studied by following the movement of a radioisotope through the organ.
  3. The radioactive tracers emit high-energy particles that can be used to destroy malignant tumors.
  4. No ionization energy is released during the use of tracers since the imaging equipment measures the perturbed magnetic field of the water molecules in the body.
Explanation
Correct Response: B. Radioactive tracers are used for the medical diagnoses of organs. The tracer can be tracked as it passes through the organ by detecting the gamma radiation emitted by the radioisotope. Radioisotopes with short half-lives are used so that they do not remain in the body for long periods of time. Answer choice A is a true statement that describes the basis for medical radiography commonly known as x-rays and is most commonly performed with x-rays, not gamma rays. Answer choice C is incorrect, although radioactive isotopes are commonly used as sources of gamma rays for the destruction of malignant tumors. Radioactive tracers use smaller quantities of radioisotopes that emit relatively low-energy gamma rays. Their purpose is not for destroying tissue but for the diagnoses of organs. Answer choice D is incorrect because radioactive tracers emit gamma radiation, which is ionizing radiation. The statement would be true if it were applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) rather than radioactive tracers.
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