Basic Concepts and Application of Nuclear Medicine

Abstract

Understanding the scientific and technical concepts related to nuclear medicine is the fundamental approach to ensuring effective and efficient use of radionuclides, either for imaging or treating numerous diseases. Basically, in ancient times, the Greek philosopher Democritus (460–370 B.C.) decreed that all things are composed of small, indivisible bits called atoms [1]. Etymologically, the term atom came from the Greek word “Atomos”, meaning “indivisible.” The idea of small, inseparable particles of substance existed until the 1800s, when renowned chemist John Dalton (17666–1844) introduced the modern atomic hypothesis. Later, the “plum pudding model” of the atom was proposed by J.J. Thomson (1856–1940), who is credited with discovering the electron [2].