010 How It Works http://www.howitworksdaily.com
Using X-rays to take a peek inside the human
body can reveal some spectacular images, and
this coloured axial computed tomography (CT)
scan is no exception. CT scanners use a rotating ring
equipped with an X-ray source to snap image ‘slices’
through the body. This is only possible because of the
way X-rays interact with the tissue in our bodies. Bone,
for example, absorbs more of the radiation than soft
tissue, revealing them on an X-ray image. To see the
soft tissue such as organs, however, a contrast
agent – typically iodine-based – is injected into
the bloodstream to absorb the X-ray
radiation and reveal the networks of
blood vessels and vital organs
within our bodies.HUMAN
CHEST CAVITY