Britannica Sources used in this answer

How has oxygen-15 been used in scientific research?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — oxygen group element Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

Oxygen-15 is an artificially prepared radioactive isotope of oxygen with a half-life of approximately 124 seconds. Due to its short-lived nature, it serves as a valuable isotopic tracer in scientific and medical research.1

Its primary applications include:

Respiration Studies: Oxygen-15 has been utilized to study respiration in mammals.1
Positron Emission Tomography (PET): As a positron-emitting radionuclide, it is used to label chemical compounds for PET scans. This technique allows researchers to quantitatively measure oxygen uptake and other biochemical processes within the body, particularly in the brain and heart.2

By tracking the gamma rays produced when the isotope's positrons are annihilated by electrons, scientists can reconstruct images of internal organs to evaluate conditions such as cancer, stroke, and various neurological or mental disorders.2