| Since its accidental discovery in 1895, the X ray has been an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Produced by bombarding a target made of tungsten with high-speed electrons, X rays are absorbed by various tissues of the body in a predictable manner. They are absorbed by dense bone and pass through the soft tissue of internal organs. On a photographic plate, bone appears white and soft tissues appear gray. While diagnostic dental and medical X rays are low-intensity beams, high-intensity X rays, capable of destroying tissue, are used in the treatment of tumors. Rapidly dividing cancerous cells are especially vulnerable to X rays. |
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