"Radioisotope and Radiation Technologies for Welfare of Mankind"

   ‘Homo sapiens’ is an enthralling term that describes a flawless bunch of cells struggling to exist with an ever-expanding imagination and intelligence. He has developed a chronology portraying social living, striving not only to live but also to overwhelm others in order to be classified as the fittest. Radiation and radioactivity came long before life on Earth arrived and are essential components of the ecosystem. We are subjected to both natural and man-made radiations. In contrast to these, some radioisotopes, such as radium and polonium, are found in our bones, our muscle contains radio-carbon and radio-potassium; and our pulmonary organs contain radon, thoron, and their descendants, all of which produce ionizing radiation. The radiation emitted by the sun is the result of nuclear fusion, and it is critical to the survival of life on Earth.

As a result, we live on a world that is inherently radioactive. From utilizing fire as a means of survival, to using subatomic particles to generate the energy required in day-to-day life. Research has never stopped being intrigued by every tiny input and responding to everchanging requirements by developing and inventing. From using radioactive elements to generate electricity which has a potential risk for humans, to be able to use the same elements to cure several diseases, humans proved to be a mastermind in the aspect of science and technology. The advantages of radiation are well known throughout the world, but the fear of nuclear weapons, as demonstrated by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki in1945, and the nuclear accidents at Chernobyl in Russia (1986) and Fukushima in Japan (2011), is still alive and well in the minds of the general public. The use of radionuclides in medicine, industry, and research has enriched human civilization for many generations. Radioisotopes were a boon to many fields of biology. A radionuclide is a volatile particle with enormous nuclear energy. This extra energy can be expelled as gamma radiation from the nucleus, transmitted to one of its electrons, and discharged as a conversion electron, or utilized to build and emit a new particle from the nucleus. Limited use of radioisotopes had a lot of advantages but over exploitation of this resources would be fatal. In case of any emergency to safe guard ourselves, we must have latest safety measures and first aid technologies, so along with the advancements in field of radiation therapy we must be able to properly utilize the precious resources and maintain appropriate safety measures.

These isotopes offer a wide range of uses. Cobalt-60, for example, is extensively used in medicine as a radiation source to halt the progression of cancer as well as in biomedical applications. Radiation treatment, in high dosages, destroys cancer cells or inhibits their development by destroying their DNA. Cancer cells that have had their DNA damaged beyond repair either cease proliferating or die. When damaged cells die, the body breaks them down and removes them. Radiation treatment does not immediately destroy cancer cells. It might take days or weeks of therapy to damage DNA sufficiently for cancer cells to die. The cancer cells then continue to die for weeks or months after the radiation therapy is finished. Technetium is the most prevalent radionuclide used in radioactive tracers (99Tc). Tumors in the brain are found by administering 99Tc intravenously and scanning the brain with appropriate scanners. Radioactive iodine (I-131), an iodine radioisotope that emits radiation, is utilized in medicine.

When a tiny amount of I-131 is ingested, it is released into the bloodstream via the GI tract and condensed from the blood by the thyroid gland, where it begins eliminating the gland's cells. Thyroid cancer may potentially be treated with radioactive iodine I-131. The focus area of agricultural research is the development of high yielding plant types, oilseeds, and other commercially significant crops, as well as plant protection against insects. Irradiated grains of wheat, rice, cotton, and other crops are undergoing significant genetic alterations to enhance crop variety and mutation breeding. These crop types are more disease-resistant and provide higher yields. Radiation-induced mutations are used to create novel crop varieties in several nations across the globe. Archaeologists utilize radioactive particles to estimate the ages of fossils and other items using a technique known as carbon dating. Cosmic rays hit nitrogen atoms in our high atmosphere and produce carbon-14, an inherently radioactive isotope. Carbon is present in all living organisms, and carbon-14 accounts for a small portion of this. When a plant or animal dies, it no longer absorbs new carbon, and the carbon-14 it collected over its existence begins to degrade. As an outcome, an aged object has a lower concentration of radioactivity than a fresher thing after a few years. 

To conclude, radiation has explicitly or implicitly benefited every organism on this planet, but it is vastly underappreciated and underutilized on a large scale. As a result, we must develop advanced technologies in this area in order to elevate our country to the status of a superpower in the fields of nuclear medicine and nuclear power. 

Scientific Blog By :- Charan P