Application of radioactivity:
• Health:
1. Found extensive use in diagnosis and therapy eg. Phosphorous-32 is used to identify the cancerous cell. As cancer cell absorb more phosphorous, Iodine 131 is employ to determine cardiac output, plasma volume and fat metabolism and particularly to measure the activity of thyroid gland.
2. To treat cancer cells: cobalt-60 and cesium-137 administered selectively to malignant tumours and so minimize damage to adjacent healthy tissue.
• Energy
Nuclear reactors work on the principle of radioactivity. The energy released is utilised for energy generation. Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion are two examples of radioactivity.
• Strategic purpose
Radioactivity is used to develop the weapon of mass destructions. Hydrogen bomb eg.
• Food processing:
Used to preserve certain kind of foods by killing microorganism that cause spoilage.
• Earth sciences:
Used in minerology, used for dating technique , carbon-14 technique
• Environment
Radioactive tracer are used in smoke detector. To identify even a minute change in the concentration. Used to measure deep water currents in oceans and snow water content in watersheds.
Study of complex processes. For eg how plant generate energy. Thousands of plant metabolic studies have been conducted on amino acids and compounds of sulphur, phosphorous and nitrogen.