radium

radium definition - medical

ra·di·um (rāˈdē-əm)

noun Symbol Ra
A luminescent, highly radioactive metallic element found in minute amounts in uranium ores, used as a neutron source for some research purposes, and formerly used in cancer radiotherapy; its most stable isotope is Ra 226 with a half-life of 1,622 years. Atomic number 88.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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