View source for Physics:Bone seeker

{{Short description|Chemical element that accumulates in human and animal bones}}
A '''bone seeker''' is an element, often a radioisotope, that tends to accumulate in the bones of humans and other animals when it is introduced into the body.  An example is [[Physics:Strontium-90|strontium-90]], which behaves chemically like [[Chemistry:Calcium|calcium]] and can replace the calcium in bones.  Other bone seekers include [[Chemistry:Radium|radium]],<ref name="StigbrandCarlsson2008">{{cite book|last1=Stigbrand|first1=Torgny|last2=Carlsson|first2=Jorgen|last3=Adams|first3=Gregory P.|title=Targeted Radionuclide Tumor Therapy: Biological Aspects|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-mT0Lthq_54C&pg=PA183|accessdate=19 July 2011|date=2008-10-24|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-4020-8695-3|pages=183–}}</ref><ref name="Durbin75">''[http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/purl.cover.jsp?purl=/4136654-rOiaqY/Survival,causesofdeath,andestimatedtissuedosesinagroupofhumanbeingsinjectedwithplutonium.pdf Survival, causes of death, and estimated tissue doses in a group of human beings injected with plutonium]'', [http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/servlets/purl/4136654-rOiaqY/4136654.pdf 751053], R. E. Rowland and Patricia W. Durbin, 1975.</ref> and [[Chemistry:Plutonium|plutonium]].<ref name="Durbin75" /> An important thing to keep in mind is that - much like for [[Chemistry:Toxic heavy metal|toxic heavy metal]]s the chemical state of the element may complicate such classifications. For example, while strontium, its oxides and hydroxides are all water-soluble and absorbed in the digestive tract or lungs (from whence they enter the bloodstream and ultimately accumulate in the bones), compounds such as [[Chemistry:Strontium titanate|strontium titanate]] are not, which explains their use in [[Physics:Radioisotope thermoelectric generator|radioisotope thermoelectric generator]]s. As such, while dissolved ions of the element or common compounds of the element (including its native form) may present the associated health risks, there are often forms which present much lower risks even as [[Physics:Orphan source|orphan source]]s or to non-target organs when administered internally in radiotherapy.

Bone-seeking elements are health risks but have uses in [[Medicine:Oncology|oncology]].

==See also==
* [[Chemistry:ATC code V10#V10B Pain palliation (bone seeking agents)|ATC code V10B]] Pain palliation (bone seeking agents), a group of pharmaceutical bone seekers

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Radiation oncology}}
{{Radiopharmaceuticals}}

[[Category:Isotopes]]
[[Category:Radiobiology]]



{{Sourceattribution|Bone seeker}}