The application of gamma and beta rays in nuclear technology: irradiation techniques in biological research

introduction

Nuclear technology has made significant progress since the 20th century and has demonstrated its unique advantages and application value in multiple fields. Among them, gamma (gamma) rays and beta (beta) rays, as important components of nuclear technology, play important roles in radiation technology in biological research. This article aims to explore the application of gamma and beta rays in nuclear technology, especially their irradiation techniques in biological research, including irradiation breeding, food preservation, medical sterilization, and other aspects.



The basic characteristics of gamma and beta rays

gamma ray 

Gamma rays are high-energy electromagnetic waves released by atomic nuclei during radioactive decay, which have extremely strong penetrating power and can penetrate most substances, including human tissues. Gamma rays have a wide range of applications in fields such as medicine, industry, and agriculture, especially playing an important role in radiation therapy and nuclear medicine imaging.

BETA Ray 

Beta rays are high-speed electron flows released when a neutron in the nucleus transforms into a proton, with high energy and certain penetration, but weaker compared to gamma rays. Beta rays are also widely used in medical, scientific, and industrial fields, such as radioactive isotope labeling, electron microscopy, etc.

The irradiation application of nuclear technology in biological research

Irradiation breeding

Radiation breeding is an important application of nuclear technology in the field of agriculture, which uses ionizing radiation (including gamma and beta rays) to treat organisms, induce gene mutations, and then select excellent varieties. This method has the advantages of high frequency of variation, wide range of variation, and short breeding period.


The basic steps of irradiation breeding

The basic steps of irradiation breeding include selecting mutant parents, determining irradiation doses, planting and selecting seed plant mutagenic materials, identifying excellent mutants of seed reproductive plants, and so on. Different plants and growth stages have different sensitivities to radiation, so it is necessary to choose appropriate radiation doses and methods for different plants.

Radiation selection in radiation breeding

In radiation breeding, commonly used ionizing radiation includes X-rays, gamma rays, beta rays, etc. Traditionally, gamma rays have been widely used due to their ease of acquisition and low production costs. However, with the development of nuclear science, new radiation sources such as neutrons, protons, and heavy ions have gradually been introduced into radiation breeding research. These new radiation sources have higher relative biological effects and can trigger more frequent mutations, thereby improving breeding efficiency.

Examples of irradiation breeding

Radiation breeding has achieved significant results in the field of agriculture. For example, a new variety of seedless orange was successfully bred by irradiating ordinary oranges. In addition, fast neutron mutation breeding technology has also made significant progress in the breeding of crops such as soybeans and rice. Fast neutrons can efficiently generate new gene banks, providing abundant genetic resources for breeding.

Food irradiation

Food irradiation is a specialized sterilization and preservation technology developed in the 20th century for food products. The powerful penetration and physicochemical effects of gamma rays can effectively kill microorganisms and parasites in food, extend the shelf life of food, and maintain its nutritional quality.

The advantages of food irradiation

Food irradiation technology has advantages such as fast processing speed, strong penetration, no heating of food, and no introduction of chemical substances. Compared to traditional heat treatment methods, food irradiation can better maintain the nutritional content and flavor of food, and reduce the loss of nutritional components.



The application scope of food irradiation

Food irradiation technology is widely used for sterilization and preservation of various foods, including meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, etc. By irradiation treatment, the shelf life of food can be effectively extended, food waste can be reduced, and food safety can be improved.

medical sterilization 

In the medical field, gamma rays also play an important role. Medical irradiation is a processing method that uses gamma rays released from radioactive isotopes such as cobalt-60 to sterilize and disinfect medical supplies. This method has the advantages of reliable sterilization effect and no introduction of chemical residues, and is widely used both domestically and internationally.

The application scope of medical irradiation

Medical irradiation technology is suitable for the sterilization and disinfection of various medical supplies, including metal products, plastic products, and disposable polymer medical supplies. After irradiation treatment, these medical supplies can effectively kill surface microorganisms and viruses, ensuring the hygiene and safety of medical supplies.

The future development of medical irradiation

With the continuous progress of medical technology and people's increasing concern for medical safety, medical irradiation technology is also constantly developing. In the future, medical irradiation technology will pay more attention to improving sterilization effectiveness and safety, while reducing radiation dose and cost during the irradiation process. In addition, the development of new radiation sources and irradiation technologies will also bring more possibilities for medical irradiation technology.

Other applications of nuclear technology in biological research

Nuclear medicine imaging

Nuclear medicine imaging technology utilizes the differences in the distribution of radioactive isotopes in the body to obtain images of their distribution in the body by measuring the gamma rays emitted by surface radioactive isotopes, thereby diagnosing diseases. This technology plays an important role in the early diagnosis of various diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders.

Common nuclear medicine imaging techniques

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT): Using information on the distribution of radiolabeled drugs (tracers) in the body, reconstruct three-dimensional images of organs or tissues in the body. SPECT is widely used in the diagnosis of diseases in organs such as the heart, brain, lungs, and bones.