ABSTRACT
Although the potential value of radioisotopes in biological and medical research was realized soon after their discovery, their usage remained very limited. This was due to the fact that the production of different types of radioisotopes was not technically possible. A major breakthrough in the production of radioactive materials came after the invention of the cyclotron by Lawrence of the University of California at Berkeley. Later, during World War II, Fermi and associates at the University of Chicago succeeded in achieving a chain reaction 318with 235U, which allowed the construction of a nuclear reactor. Today, most of the radioisotopes of biological and medical interest are produced either by a cyclotron or by a nuclear reactor. At present, radioisotopes are widely used in biological and medical research. The main references are listed at the end of this chapter. 1–7
