Final answer:
Medical procedures such as tumor ablation and radiation therapy are used to destroy abnormal or excessive tissue, primarily for the treatment of cancer. These techniques use high-energy radiation to target and kill cancer cells, with Cobalt-60 being an example of an isotope used in such therapeutic applications. Radiation therapy and surgical biopsies are crucial in oncology for diagnosis and treatment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The destruction of abnormal or excessive tissue you referred to involves medical procedures to remove, destruct, or diminish unwanted tissue. This is commonly done in the context of tumor ablation or to treat cancer using various methods, including radiation therapy. In radiation therapy, ionizing radiation such as X-rays is used to damage the DNA of cancer cells, effectively killing them or preventing them from dividing. This use of high-energy radiation is distinct from medical imaging and requires higher doses to achieve therapeutic effects. The radiation can be delivered externally or via radioactive isotopes placed close to or within the diseased tissue.
One specific method involves the use of Cobalt-60, an isotope whose gamma ray emissions are directed toward the cancerous tissue. Procedures like these are vital in oncology, as they enable targeted destruction of malignancies while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible. In the case of a biopsy, the surgical removal of a tissue specimen for laboratory analysis may be performed, primarily to diagnose conditions such as cancer. Other applications of similar technologies include the cleaning of jewelry, material testing for flaws, welding of plastics, and the targeted destruction of certain tissues in medical applications like the degradation of the myelin sheath by Cytotoxic T-cells in some autoimmune diseases.