technetium
First synthetic element
Technetium is a radioactive metallic element, atomic number 43.
It was the first element to be artificially produced, synthesized in 1937—its name comes from the Greek for "artificial." Technetium has no stable isotopes and occurs only in trace amounts in nature.
Its most common use is in medical imaging, where a technetium isotope serves as a tracer in diagnostic scans.
Occurring at intervals
- atomicOf elemental particles
- protonsPositive nuclear particles
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
- neutronsUncharged subatomic particles
isotopes · molybdenum · ruthenium · transition · metal · chemistry · valence · density
Gradual organic breakdown
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
- gammaGreek alphabet's third
- isotopeElemental variant by mass
unstable · transmutation · metastable · nucleus · radionuclide · emissions · disintegration · activity
Producing visual representations
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- radiopharmaceuticalsMedicinal radioactive substances
- tracerPath-marking projectile
- SPECTGamma-emitting radiotracer imaging method
injection · biodistribution · oncology · metastasis · detection · labeling · perfusion · contrast
Made, not natural
- man-madeCreated by humans
- laboratoryFacility for scientific investigation
- synthesizedCombined into unified whole
- cyclotronSpiral-path particle accelerator
reactor · fission · production · isolation · Perrier · Berkeley · manufactured · generator
periodic
Occurring at intervals
neutrons · isotopes · molybdenum · ruthenium · transition · metal · chemistry · valence · density · conductivity
decay
Gradual organic breakdown
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
- gammaGreek alphabet's third
isotope · unstable · transmutation · metastable · nucleus · radionuclide · emissions · disintegration · activity · short-lived
imaging
Producing visual representations
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- radiopharmaceuticalsMedicinal radioactive substances
- tracerPath-marking projectile
SPECT · injection · biodistribution · oncology · metastasis · detection · labeling · perfusion · contrast
artificial
Made, not natural
- man-madeCreated by humans
- laboratoryFacility for scientific investigation
- synthesizedCombined into unified whole
cyclotron · reactor · fission · production · isolation · Perrier · Berkeley · manufactured · generator · extraction
rare
Seldom found or seen
- traceMinute remnant or pursue
- primordialExisting from the start
- absentNot in attendance
ephemeral · fleeting · transient · scarce · minute · undetectable · stellar · supernova · cosmic
- elementsoxygen, hydrogen, carbon, helium, nitrogen
- metalsaluminum, steel, copper, iron, gold
- Synthetic Elementsneptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium
- Radioactive Elementsuranium, plutonium, radium, radon, thorium
- Transition Metalsscandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese
- heavy metalslead, gold, platinum, mercury, uranium