Carbon-14
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Assorted References
- carbon isotopesIn carbon
Carbon-14, which is radioactive, is the isotope used in radiocarbon dating and radiolabeling. Read MoreIn radioactive isotope
…medically important radioactive isotope is carbon-14, which is used in a breath test to detect the ulcer-causing bacteria Heliobacter pylori. Read More
applications
- nuclear medicineIn nuclear medicine
Another isotope, carbon-14, is useful in studying abnormalities of metabolism that underlie diabetes mellitus, gout, anemia, and acromegaly. Read More
- photosynthesisIn photosynthesis: Elucidation of the carbon pathway
Radioactive isotopes of carbon (14C) and phosphorus (32P) have been valuable in identifying the intermediate compounds formed during carbon assimilation. A photosynthesizing plant does not strongly discriminate between the most abundant natural carbon isotope (12C) and 14C. During photosynthesis in the presence of… Read More
- radiocarbon datingIn dating: Technical advances
…example, a certain amount of carbon-14 (14C) is present in all biological components at Earth’s surface. This radioactive carbon is continually formed when nitrogen atoms of the upper atmosphere collide with neutrons produced by the interaction of high-energy cosmic rays with the atmosphere. An organism takes in small amounts of… Read MoreIn dating: Carbon-14 dating and other cosmogenic methods
The discovery of natural carbon-14 by American chemist Willard Libby of the United States began with his recognition that a process that had produced radiocarbon in the laboratory was also going on in Earth’s upper atmosphere—namely, the bombardment of nitrogen by free neutrons. Newly created carbon-14 atoms were presumed… Read MoreIn archaeology: Dating
…activity of radioactive carbon (carbon-14) present in bones, wood, or ash found in archaeological sites is measured. Because the rate at which this activity decreases in time is known, the approximate age of the material can be determined by comparing it to carbon-14 activity in presently living organic matter.… Read More
- seawater salinityIn undersea exploration: Water sampling for chemical constituents
…example is the use of carbon-14 (14C). Today, a number of oceanographic laboratories make carbon-14 measurements of oceanic dissolved carbon for the study of mixing and transport processes in the deep ocean. Until recently large samples of water—about 200 litres (one litre = 0.264 gallon)—were required for analysis. New techniques… Read More