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Tracer
In science, a small quantity of a radioactive isotope (form of an element) used to follow the path of a substance. Certain chemical reactions or physical or biological processes can then be monitored. The location (and possibly concentration) of the tracer is usually detected by using a Geiger–Muller counter.
For example, the activity of the thyroid gland can be monitored by giving the patient an injection containing a small dose of a radioactive isotope of iodine, which is selectively absorbed from the bloodstream by the gland.
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