Radioactive tracers are molecules or atoms that contain radioactive isotopes. These radioactive substances can be used to follow and study biological and chemical processes within living organisms. When introduced into a system, radioactive isotope tracers emit radiation that can be detected and measured externally using devices like Geiger counters or scintillation detectors. Tracking the movement and distribution of radioactive isotope tracers allows researchers to gain insights into various biological and physiological processes.

Production Process

Radioactive Tracer used in medical and biological research are produced artificially by bombarding stable isotopes present in nature with subatomic particles like neutrons or protons in nuclear reactors or particle accelerators. This bombardment converts the stable isotope into an unstable radioactive isotope or radioisotope.

Commonly used radioisotopes for tracer studies include carbon-14, iodine-131, technetium-99m, fluorine-18 and many others. The radioactive isotope is then attached or combined with biologically active molecules like glucose, fatty acids or amino acids to produce radioactive isotope tracers.

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