Health / Medical Topics |
Plutonium-239
An artificial radioactive element with long half-life, Plutonium-239 is produced by bombarding uranium-238 with slow neutrons and is used as the explosive in nuclear weapons and as fuel for nuclear reactors. Similar to uranium, Plutonium-239 is a heavy, fissionable metal that accumulates in bones upon exposure and presents health hazards. Plutonium oxidation results in stable, easily inhaled, particulate plutonium dioxide that represents a respiratory health hazard. Plutonium ingestion is considerably less dangerous since little is absorbed in the digestive system. (NCI Thesaurus)
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

The end of a microtubule where tubulin polymerization occurs.

The end of an actin filament that is polymerizing at a faster rate.

A cell that is able to develop into many different types of cells or tissues in the body.

The state of a single cell that is capable of differentiating into all tissues of an organism, but not alone capable of…

An infrequent chromophobic or slightly eosinophilic pituitary gland adenoma that shows immunoreactivity for more than one pituitary hormone, excluding the following two…

A mechanical device designed to slide within a chamber to transfer a material.
