Scanning the Human Body Part 2: X-Rays

Aug 2

Written By Julia Arukakkal- CuriouSTEM Staff

The human body is a complex network of cells that allows us to jump, see, and think. However, injuries to the human body may be hard to see, especially if they are on the inside. This is where diagnostic imaging comes into play. Welcome to the world of X-rays where you can see injuries to bones.

First, we need to talk about the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Think of it as a collection of all the waves that can travel where there is no matter, such as outer space.

Electromagnetic waves are created through electrons. There is an electric field around each electron, Imagine it as lines in all directions from a circle. As these electrons flow at a constant speed, this field stays the same. If the electron accelerates (speeds up, slows down, or changes direction), all of the field lines have to bend, because it has to adjust from the old speed to the new speed. This bend is called a kink which radiates outwards in the form of electromagnetic radiation.

This happens in X-ray machines. An x-ray machine generates X-rays through a tube that is basically a vacuum, a space without matter, with electricity running through a filament. As electricity runs through the filaments, it becomes hotter, causing the electrons to move faster, to accelerate. This creates electromagnetic radiation.

It’s also important to see where X-rays lie in the electromagnetic spectrum to understand some of its properties. Frequency is the number of waves that are there in a certain length of time. As the frequency of the wave increases, the energy of the wave also increases. As a result, the higher the frequency, the more dense things it can pass through because they have more energy. The order of the Electromagnetic Spectrum is: Radio Waves, Microwaves, Infrared, Visible Light, Ultraviolet, X-rays, and Gamma Rays. Aha, there’s X-rays. Since X-rays are higher on the electro-magnetic spectrum, they have more frequency, so they can go through denser things. To showcase this, visible light, which has a lower frequency, cannot pass through skin. However, x-rays can.

In an X-ray of the human body, air is depicted as black, while bone is depicted as white. This allows for issues with bones and teeth to be clearly seen. In addition, X-rays help diagnose respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia. Previously, doctors had to use film but now, computers work efficiently to generate X-ray images.

Through the powerful penetration of X-rays, created by running electricity, diagnosing dense bone & teeth issues becomes easy.