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Human exposure x ray 1890s6/5/2023 Not a bad legacy for an accidental discovery. And while X-rays remain a cornerstone of modern medicine, their discovery paved the way for the development of today’s broad spectrum of imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, echocardiography, and many others - some of which avoid the use of radiation altogether. We now have a far better understanding of the risks associated with X-ray radiation and have developed protocols to greatly minimize unnecessary exposure. But overall, early use of X-rays was widespread and unrestrained, even to the degree that during the 1930’s and 1940’s, shoe stores offered free X-rays so that customers could see the bones in their feet. Morton, each of whom reported injuries they believed resulted from experiments with X-rays. There were a few early suspicions from scientists including Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and William J. Honors for his work poured in-including the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901.Ĭlinical use of the X-ray flourished, with little regard for potential side effects from radiation exposure. News of his discovery spread worldwide, and within a year, doctors in Europe and the United States were using X-rays to locate gun shots, bone fractures, kidney stones and swallowed objects. Roentgen quickly found that X-rays would pass through human tissue too, rendering the bones and tissue beneath visible. Because he did not know what the rays were, he called them ‘X,’ meaning ‘unknown,’ rays. Through experimentation, he found that the mysterious light would pass through most substances but leave shadows of solid objects. His cathode tube was covered in heavy black paper, so he was surprised when an incandescent green light nevertheless escaped and projected onto a nearby fluorescent screen. Wilhelm Roentgen, Professor of Physics in Wurzburg, Bavaria, discovered X-rays in 1895-accidentally-while testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass. But not so long ago, a broken bone, a tumor, or a swallowed object could not be found without cutting a person open. We barely think about it, it’s so ubiquitous. Mammography, the standard screening method for breast cancer, uses X-rays. They can be harmful to living organisms in high doses, as they can cause cell damage and increase the risk of cancer.In today’s world, doctors order X-rays to diagnose all sorts of problems: a broken bone, pneumonia, heart failure, and much, much more. Gamma rays are used in medical imaging, radiation therapy for cancer, and other applications where ionizing radiation is needed. Many patients and health workers suffered ill effects. They have the shortest wavelength and highest energy of any form of electromagnetic radiation. After Roentgens discovery, it was soon noted that prolonged exposure to x rays would burn the skin. Gamma rays are a type of high-energy electromagnetic radiation that is produced by the decay of radioactive isotopes and by other nuclear processes. These isotopes emit ionizing radiation, which can have harmful effects on living organisms. Natural radioactive gas refers to gases that are naturally radioactive, such as radon, as well as other radioactive isotopes that can be found in the atmosphere, such as carbon-14 and potassium-40. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and can accumulate in homes and other buildings, where it can be inhaled and potentially cause lung cancer. Radon gas is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is formed by the decay of uranium and thorium in soil, rocks, and water. X-rays are used in a variety of medical and industrial applications, including imaging bones and teeth, detecting hidden flaws in materials, and sterilizing medical equipment. They are produced when high-speed electrons collide with a metal target, resulting in the emission of photons with a characteristic energy. For instance, Thomas Edison’s assistant died from a radiationinducedtumor as a result of too much xray exposure. Infact, early pioneers in radiation research diedfrom radiationinduced illnesses from too much exposure. X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of ultraviolet light, but longer than gamma rays. medicine it could also be a potential threat to human health if not handled properly.
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