To define:
An isotope and its application in both medicine and biology.
Introduction:
The isotopes of an atom of the same element have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons. The atomic number is the same but the mass number is different. The example includes C-12, C-13 and C-14. All these atoms have six protons but the numbers of the neutrons are different. The C-12 atom has six neutrons, C-13 has seven neutrons and C-14 has eight neutrons. The atom of C-14 is unstable and releases radiation in the form of rays and radiations. It leads to the formation of the radioisotopes. These substances have applications in medicine and biology. For example: bio-medical imaging.
Pictorial representation:
The natural isotopes of carbon are well represented in Fig.1.
Fig.1: Isotopes of Carbon
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