Phosphorus-32 (32P) is a radioactive isotope of phosphorus. The nucleus of phosphorus-32 contains 15 protons and 17 neutrons, one more neutron than the most common isotope of phosphorus, phosphorus-31. Phosphorus-32 only exists in small quantities on Earth as it has a short half-life of 14 days and so decays rapidly.
Phosphorus is found in many organic molecules and so phosphorus-32 has many applications in medicine, biochemistry, and molecular biology where it can be used to trace phosphorylated molecules (for example, in elucidating metabolic pathways) and radioactively label DNA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus-32
Radionucleotide may refer to:
- In experimental biochemistry, a nucleotide that is radiolabeled with a radionuclide such as phosphorus-32
- When used in clinical medical literature, usually a malapropism for the intended term radionuclide
Examples[edit]
The following table lists properties of selected radionuclides illustrating the range of properties and uses.
Isotope | Z | N | half-life | DM | DE keV | Mode of formation | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tritium (3H) | 1 | 2 | 12.3 y | β− | 19 | Cosmogenic | lightest radionuclide, used in artificial nuclear fusion, also used for radioluminescence and as oceanic transient tracer. Synthesized from neutron bombardment of lithium-6 or deuterium |
Beryllium-10 | 4 | 6 | 1,387,000 y | β− | 556 | Cosmogenic | used to examine soil erosion, soil formation from regolith, and the age of ice cores |
Carbon-14 | 6 | 8 | 5,700 y | β− | 156 | Cosmogenic | used for radiocarbon dating |
Fluorine-18 | 9 | 9 | 110 min | β+, EC | 633/1655 | Cosmogenic | positron source, synthesised for use as a medical radiotracer in PET scans. |
Aluminium-26 | 13 | 13 | 717,000 y | β+, EC | 4004 | Cosmogenic | exposure dating of rocks, sediment |
Chlorine-36 | 17 | 19 | 301,000 y | β−, EC | 709 | Cosmogenic | exposure dating of rocks, groundwater tracer |
Potassium-40 | 19 | 21 | 1.24×109 y | β−, EC | 1330 /1505 | Primordial | used for potassium-argon dating, source of atmospheric argon, source of radiogenic heat, largest source of natural radioactivity |
Calcium-41 | 20 | 21 | 99,400 y | EC | Cosmogenic | exposure dating of carbonate rocks | |
Cobalt-60 | 27 | 33 | 5.3 y | β− | 2824 | Synthetic | produces high energy gamma rays, used for radiotherapy, equipment sterilisation, food irradiation |
Krypton-81 | 36 | 45 | 229,000 y | β+ | Cosmogenic | groundwater dating | |
Strontium-90 | 38 | 52 | 28.8 y | β− | 546 | Fission product | medium-lived fission product; probably most dangerous component of nuclear fallout |
Technetium-99 | 43 | 56 | 210,000 y | β− | 294 | Fission product | most common isotope of the lightest unstable element, most significant of long-lived fission products |
Technetium-99m | 43 | 56 | 6 hr | γ,IC | 141 | Synthetic | most commonly used medical radioisotope, used as a radioactive tracer |
Iodine-129 | 53 | 76 | 15,700,000 y | β− | 194 | Cosmogenic | longest lived fission product; groundwater tracer |
Iodine-131 | 53 | 78 | 8 d | β− | 971 | Fission product | most significant short-term health hazard from nuclear fission, used in nuclear medicine, industrial tracer |
Xenon-135 | 54 | 81 | 9.1 h | β− | 1160 | Fission product | strongest known "nuclear poison" (neutron-absorber), with a major effect on nuclear reactor operation. |
Caesium-137 | 55 | 82 | 30.2 y | β− | 1176 | Fission product | other major medium-lived fission product of concern |
Gadolinium-153 | 64 | 89 | 240 d | EC | Synthetic | Calibrating nuclear equipment, bone density screening | |
Bismuth-209 | 83 | 126 | 2.01×1019y | α | 3137 | Primordial | long considered stable, decay only detected in 2003 |
Polonium-210 | 84 | 126 | 138 d | α | 5307 | Decay product | Highly toxic, used in poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko |
Radon-222 | 86 | 136 | 3.8 d | α | 5590 | Decay product | gas, responsible for the majority of public exposure to ionizing radiation, second most frequent cause of lung cancer |
Thorium-232 | 90 | 142 | 1.4×1010 y | α | 4083 | Primordial | basis of thorium fuel cycle |
Uranium-235 | 92 | 143 | 7×108y | α | 4679 | Primordial | fissile, main nuclear fuel |
Uranium-238 | 92 | 146 | 4.5×109 y | α | 4267 | Primordial | Main Uranium isotope |
Plutonium-238 | 94 | 144 | 87.7 y | α | 5593 | Synthetic | used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and radioisotope heater units as an energy source for spacecraft |
Plutonium-239 | 94 | 145 | 24,110 y | α | 5245 | Synthetic | used for most modern nuclear weapons |
Americium-241 | 95 | 146 | 432 y | α | 5486 | Synthetic | used in household smoke detectors as an ionising agent |
Californium-252 | 98 | 154 | 2.64 y | α/SF | 6217 | Synthetic | undergoes spontaneous fission (3% of decays), making it a powerful neutron source, used as a reactor initiator and for detection devices |
Key: Z = atomic number; N = neutron number; DM = decay mode; DE = decay energy; EC = electron capture
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