What uses do gamma rays make?

Medical applications.Gamma rays ionize living tissue, causing cancer by producing free radicals. ... However, since gamma rays also kill bacteria and cancer cells, they are used to kill certain types of cancer.... In a controlled process, gamma rays are employed as a "gamma knife" consisting of a beam of concentrated gamma rays that are focused onto a tumor to directly kill the tumor cells without harming the surrounding cells.... Gamma rays are also used as an alternative to chemical sterilization... Medical Diagnostic Applications. Like other electromagnetic waves, gamma rays can be emitted in a variety of ranges. ... As a diagnostic tool, gamma rays may be emitted in the same energy range as X-rays... A patient is injected with a homogeneous heterogeneous energy called technetium-99m, which can emit a type of radioactive tracer gamma rays... A gamma camera is then used to form an image of the distribution of gamma rays in the body by mapping the tracer. This image can be used to diagnose conditions ranging from the distribution of cancer cells to the number of brain and cardiovascular malformations.... Industrial Applications. Gamma rays are used in industrial environments to detect defects in metal castings and to find weak points in welded structures. As the industrial radiography process is called, the structural part is bombarded with gamma rays while safely passing through the metal.... The metal is then viewed with a portable gamma camera while the photographic image of the structure is darkened to show weak spots. Gamma rays can also be used to screen baggage and cargo at airports.... Started in 2002, the Container Security Initiative has used gamma rays in a human manner in much the same way as vehicle and container imaging systems, using gamma rays as a diagnostic drug to take gamma-ray images of cargo as it is imported and exported from the United States. ... Applications in the Food Industry . Gamma rays i.e. in the form of a radionuclide called cobalt 60, are used to preserve food in the same way as they are used to sterilize medical equipment as they irradiate the bacteria that cause tooth decay. ... Cobalt 60 produces gamma radiation, which makes it possible to kill bacteria in the human body without causing a fatal dose of radiation, with very low levels of insects and yeast.... This process also prevents sprouting and ripening of fruits and vegetables, while otherwise causing no significant change in the content of food.