Nuclear

Pharmacy
 Course Content
1.Introduction

2. The
Atom

5-Biological 3.Radioactive
(Molecular and decay
Cellular) Effects of
Ionizing
Radiation

4-Interactions of
Radiation With
Matter
INTRODUCTION

Definition: Nuclear Pharmacy

Nuclear pharmacy is a specialty

area of pharmacy practice
dedicated to the compounding
and dispensing of radioactive
materials for use in nuclear
medicine procedures (Diagnosis
and treatment).
INTRODUCTION

More than 100 radiopharmaceutical

products are available, with the
largest proportion of these having
diagnostic use:
Cardiology (myocardial perfusion)

Oncology (tumor imaging and localization)

Neurology (cerebral perfusion)

The nuclear medicine has been well
established as a therapeutic tool for:
Thyroid cancer,

Graves' disease,

Hyperthyroidism

Bone pain palliation associated with skeletal

metastasis.
Radioactivity
Character of certain atoms and
therefore in order to understand
radioactivity we must study the
structure of the atom.
Atom
The atom is the basic unit of matter
consisting of a dense, central nucleus
surrounded by a cloud of negatively
charged electrons.

The atomic nucleus contains a mix of

positively charged protons and
electrically neutral neutrons. charged
Electrons travel only in certain
successively larger orbits.
The outer orbits could hold more
electrons than the inner ones, and
that these outer orbits determine the
atom's chemical properties.
According to Bohr's atomic theory, an
atom is composed of a nucleus at the
centre and one or more electrons
rotating around the nucleus along
different energy orbits.
The nucleus is primarily composed of
protons and neutrons, collectively
called nucleons.

For an atom of a given element, the

number of electrons moving around the
nucleus equals the number of protons,
balancing the electrical charge of the
nucleus.
 1913

Electron configuration Nuclear structure

Determines the Characterizes the stability

chemical properties and radioactive decay of
of an element the nucleus of an atom
Electronic Structure of the Atom
The Bohr atomic theory states that
electrons in an atom rotate around the
nucleus in discrete energy orbits or
shells.
These energy shells, referred to as the K
shell, L shell, M shell, N shell, and so
forth, are stationary and arranged in
order of increasing energy.
Transition of an electron from an upper orbit to
a lower orbit, the energy difference between
the two orbits is released as the photon
radiation.
If the electron is raised from a lower orbit to an
upper orbit, the energy difference between the
two orbits is absorbed and must be supplied
for the transition to occur.
Electronic Structure of the Atom
According to the quantum theory, each
shell is designated by a quantum number
n, called the principal quantum number,
and denoted by integers, for example, 1
for the K shell, 2 for the L shell, 3 for the
M shell, 4 for the N shell, and 5 for the O
shell.
Electronic Structure of the Atom
Each energy shell
is subdivided into
subshells (I=n-1)
or orbitals, which
are designated as
s, p, d, f, and so
forth.
Magnetic quantum number(m)
m (No. of orbitals)= 2 I+1
Where : values of I = 0,1,2,3,4 for
the subshells s,p,d,f,g
respectively.
Electronic Structure of the Atom
The total number of electrons in a given
shell is 2n2.
Thus, the K shell can contain only two
electrons, the next L shell eight electrons,
the M shell l8 electrons, the N shell 32
electrons, and the O shell 50 electrons.
In atoms, the orbitals are filled in order of
increasing energy; that is, the lowest
energy orbital is filled in first.
Examples of the electron configurations
of some elements are given below:
11Na 1s22s22p63s1

18Ar 1s22s22p63s23p6

26 Fe 1s22s22p63s23p63d64s2

43Tc 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d65s1 Technetium

Indium
49In 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d 105s25p1
 According to the Bohr Theory

• The electrons were moving in well defined orbits about the

nucleus, corresponding to specific energy levels-the emission or
absorption of a photon of electromagnetic radiation occurring
when an electron made a quantum jump from one permitted
orbit, or energy level, to another.
• The electrons of an atom are bound to the nucleus by the
electromagnetic force {likewise, a group of atoms can remain
bound to each other, forming a molecule}.
• The number of electrons moving around the nucleus equals the
number of protons, balancing the electrical charge of the nucleus
{this is an electrically neutral atom, otherwise it has a positive
or negative charge and is an ion}.
Chemical bonds:
an attempt to fill electron shells

1. Ionic bonds
2. Covalent bonds
3. Covalent coordinate
1. IONIC BOND
- bond formed between two ions by the transfer of
electrons.
- Ionic compounds result when metals react with
nonmetals. - Produce
charged ions all states. Conductors and have high
melting point.
Examples; NaCl, CaCl2
 COVALENT BOND
-Bond formed by the sharing of electrons. It means that each of the
atoms participating in bond formation contributes one electron to the
bond.
- The shared electrons are localized in the region between the two atoms
and unlike to the ionic bonds, do not belong exclusively to one atom
alone.
- Stable non-ionizing molecules, they are not conductors at any state.
Examples; O2, CO2, C2H6, H2O

Non-Polar covalent bond

When electrons are shared equally, for example H2 or Cl2
 Polar covalent bond
when electrons are shared but shared unequally, for example H2O

water is a polar molecule because oxygen is more electronegative than

hydrogen, and therefore electrons are pulled closer to oxygen
Coordinate covalent bond
The pair of electrons required for bond formation is donated by only
one atom to another that can accommodate two electrons in octet
formation
Nitrogen and oxygen atoms have donated
their lone pair of electrons to a hydrogen
bond.
Structure of the Nucleus
The nucleus of an atom is composed of
protons and neutrons, collectively called
nucleons.
The number of protons in a nucleus is
called the atomic number of the atom,
denoted by Z. The number of neutrons is
denoted by N. The total number of
nucleons in a nucleus is referred to as the
mass number, denoted by A. Thus, A is
equal to Z + N.
 The neutron is a subatomic particle with no net
electric charge and a mass slightly larger than
that of a proton.
 Neutrons are usually found in atomic nuclei .
 The nuclei of most atoms consist of protons and
neutrons, which are therefore collectively
referred to as nucleons .
 The number of protons in a nucleus is the atomic
number and defines the type of element the
atom forms .
 The number of neutrons is the neutron number
and determines the isotope of an element.
 For example, the abundant carbon-12 isotope
has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while the very
rare radioactive carbon-14 isotope has 6 protons
and 8 neutrons.
Structure of the Nucleus

Nucleons Mass number

Z Protons
N
Neutrons

number of protons in
The number of
a nucleus is called
neutrons is denoted
the atomic number
by N.
of the atom denoted
by Z.
Structure of the Nucleus
An elemental atom X having a mass
number A, atomic number Z, and
neutron number N is represented by .

Mass
number
A

Atomic Z
X N Neutron number
number
Structure of the Nucleus
For example, the stable aluminum nucleus has
13 protons (Z) and 14 neutrons (N), and
therefore its mass number (A) is 27. Thus it is
designated as .
Mass
number 27
Al
Atomic
number
13 14 Neutron number
 Radionuclides

A radionuclide is an atom with an

unstable nucleus (Same number of
protons but varying numbers of
neutrons).
Their nuclei undergo rearrangement
while changing to a stable state, and
energy is given off.
Energy levels of the nucleus
Ground state (stable)

Excited state (unstable)

Meta stable state

Nomenclature

An exact nuclear composition

including:
 The mass number A
 Atomic number Z
 Arrangement of nucleons in the nucleus Nuclide
Nomenclature

Isotopes are atoms of the same

element having different masses,
due to varying numbers of neutrons.

15 16 17 18
O O O O
8 8 8 8
Comparison of Two Isotopes
Nomenclature
Isotones:
 Nuclides having the same number
of neutrons but different atomic
numbers
59 60 62
33
Fe Co Cu Neutron
s
26 27 29
Nomenclature
Isobars:
 Nuclides with the same number of
nucleons, that is, the same mass
number, but a different number of
protons and neutrons.
67 67
Cu Zn
29 30
Nomenclature

Isomers:
 Nuclides having the same number of protons and neutrons but
differing in energy states and spins are called isomers. 99Tc and
99mTc are isomers of the same nuclide.

99 99m

Tc Tc
Nomenclature

Unstable or radioactive nuclide, it

decays by:
o Spontaneous fission
o α-particle,
Radionuclide
o β-particle
o γ-ray emission