Irradiation: Exposure to ionising radiation from an external source. The body is not itself made radioactive.
Contamination: The deposition of radioactive material onto or into the body. The material continues to irradiate the body from within or from the skin.
Medical tracer: A gamma-emitting radioisotope administered to a patient to allow imaging of organ function from outside the body.
Radiotherapy: The use of high-energy radiation (usually gamma) to kill cancer cells inside the body.
This definitions covers Key Definitions within Uses & Hazards of Radiation for GCSE Physics. Revise Uses & Hazards of Radiation in Atomic Structure for GCSE Physics with 18 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 11 of 17 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Practice questions for Uses & Hazards of Radiation
Which type of radiation is used in smoke detectors?
Explain how a smoke detector uses an alpha source to detect smoke.