Lise Meitner, the scientist who changed medicine through the discovery of splitting atoms.
| Autor: | Drake R; Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom., Terry SY; Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom., Langdon S; Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Frontiers for young minds [Front Young Minds] 2022 Mar 14; Vol. 10. |
| Abstrakt: | The splitting of atoms, also known as nuclear fission, is the physics behind radiation and radioactivity. Dr Lise Meitner discovered how radioactivity could be produced in 1939. She realised firing a small particle present in the nucleus of all atoms, a neutron, at another atom could release energy in the form of radiation. Radioactive atoms can also be created in this way and are useful in detecting cancer or checking if the brain and heart are working properly. This is because when radioactive atoms are injected into the blood vein of a patient, they travel through the body and release radiation that is detected using special cameras. This creates images or videos of tumours or normal tissues inside the body. Radiation therefore helps doctors diagnose and treat patients better. Unfortunately, Dr Meitner was never credited officially for her key discovery of nuclear fission. Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare that there are no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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