UPSC Prelims 1999·GS1·science-and-technology·science and technology

Barium in a suitable form is administered to patients before an X-ray examination of the stomach, because

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  1. Abarium allows X-rays to pass through the stomach on account of its transparency to X-rays
  2. Bbarium compound, like magnesium sulphate helps in cleaning the stomach before X-ray examination
  3. Cbarium is a good absorber of X-rays and this helps the stomach to appear clearly in contrast with the other regions in the pictureCorrect
  4. Dbarium salts are white in colour and this helps the stomach to appear clearly in contrast with other regions in the picture

Explanation

The correct answer is C because barium is a heavy element with a high atomic number, which makes it an excellent absorber of X rays. Soft tissues like the stomach are normally transparent to X rays and do not show up well on film. When a patient drinks a barium meal, the barium coats the lining of the stomach and blocks the X rays from passing through. This creates a sharp white contrast on the X ray image, allowing doctors to clearly see the shape and condition of the digestive tract against the darker surrounding areas.
science-and-technology: Barium in a suitable form is administered to patients before an X-ray examination of the stomach, because

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