Radioactive Signal Detection
Radioactive Signal Detection - Related Videos
17:38
Radioactive in situ Hybridization for Detecting Diverse Gene Expression Patterns in Tissue
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Cited by 21 •
2012
This protocol is successfully used to quantitatively detect levels and spatial patterns of mRNA expression in multiple tissue types across vertebrate species. The method can detect low abundance transcripts and allows processing of hundreds of slides simultaneously. We present this protocol using expression profiling of avian embryonic brain formation as an example.
03:18
Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations
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2020
Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element. A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
02:48
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
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2020
Radioactivity is a spontaneous disintegration of an unstable nuclide and is a random process, as all the nuclei in the sample do not decay simultaneously. The number of disintegrations per unit time is called the activity (A), which is directly proportional to the number of nuclei in the sample. The decay constant (λ) is an average probability of decay per nucleus in unit time. The SI unit for activity is the becquerel, which is one disintegration per second. Another unit of activity is the...
04:25
Substrate Oxidation Assay in Cultured Cells: An In Vitro Assay to Quantify Substrate Oxidation in Cells by Measuring Radioactive Signals from Trapped CO2
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2025
This video demonstrates a quantification technique for CO2 released during substrate oxidation using 14C-radiolabeled substrates. The released 14CO2 is trapped in an alkaline solution and quantified by a scintillation counter. The oxidation of different substrates varies between tissues and reflects the pathophysiological condition of the tissue.
02:42
RNA CISH Signal Detection: A Technique to Detect Chromogenic Signals During RNA In Situ Hybridization in Intact Tissue Specimens
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2023
This video presents the protocol for signal detection during RNA chromogenic in situ hybridization. This technique can be used to diagnose an active oncogenic infection visually in an intact tissue specimen.
FAQs
Radioactive labels produce alpha, beta, or gamma radiation that a detector converts into countable events. The resulting counts provide a measurement of labeled material, while spatial recording can localize where the signal occurs. This conversion links atomic decay to experimentally measurable molecular or biological activity in a sample.
Scintillation counting and gamma counting provide quantitative measurements of radioactive signal, whereas autoradiography records the location of labeled material. The choice therefore depends on whether the experiment primarily requires numerical signal values, spatial mapping, or both. These methods support different ways of examining molecular distribution and biological activity.
Calibration establishes how detector responses correspond to radioactive signal, while background correction separates the label-derived measurement from unrelated signal. Without these controls, measured counts may not accurately represent the amount or distribution of labeled material. Together, they improve reliability when researchers quantify tracers, binding, synthesis, or metabolic activity.
A dependable measurement requires an appropriate detection method, instrument calibration, and correction for background signal. Shielding and radiation-safety practices must also be incorporated because the labels emit ionizing radiation. These steps help protect laboratory personnel, reduce interference, and produce measurements that can be interpreted with greater confidence.
Researchers can use the measurements to follow nucleic acid and protein synthesis, trace the distribution of labeled compounds, examine molecular binding, and assess metabolic pathways. Quantitative counting is useful when signal levels matter, whereas autoradiography helps reveal where labeled material occurs. The approach therefore connects molecular events with measurable biological patterns.
In biological techniques, a radioactive label can serve as a tracer whose signal is measured or localized after an experiment. Scintillation counting and gamma counting support quantitative analysis, while autoradiography maps labeled material. These outcomes help researchers investigate molecular synthesis, distribution, binding interactions, and pathway activity within biological systems.