asked 89.4k views
5 votes
How are gamma rays made? Also, how are they important?

asked
User Aneudi
by
7.9k points

2 Answers

4 votes
Gamma rays are generated by radioactive atoms and in nuclear explosions. gamma rays are used to kill cancerous cells which is why it is used in medicine.
answered
User Fnst
by
7.7k points
6 votes
How are they made-
Gamma rays are given off by stars, and by some radioactive substances.
They are extremely high frequency waves, and carry a large amount of energy.USES-Because Gamma rays can kill living cells, they are used to kill cancer cells without having to resort to difficult surgery.This is called "Radiotherapy", and works because healthy cells can repair themselves fairly well when damaged by gamma rays - but cancer cells can't. Getting the dose right is very important!There's also targeted radiotherapy, where a radioactive substance is used to kill cancer cells - but it's a substance that'll be taken up by a specific part of the body, so the rest of the body only gets a low dose. An example would be using radioactive iodine to treat cancer in the thyroid gland.
answered
User Fosna
by
7.6k points

No related questions found

Welcome to Qamnty — a place to ask, share, and grow together. Join our community and get real answers from real people.