Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of autoradiography. The principle of autoradiography is basically simple—it is known that ionizing particles have the same photochemical effect on a photographic emulsion as light rays do. Thus, ionizing radiation induces a latent image in photographic emulsion, which on development, is revealed through developed silver halide grains. Autoradiography is basically inexpensive, requiring very little equipment, but its real value is that it permits ready location and visualization of the movement and concentration of the tracer. Macroautoradiography is used to denote the autoradiography of relatively large objects as in the examination of whole plants, roots, identification of labeled spots on paper chromatograms or thin layer chromatograms (TLC), or for the localization of labeled ions in frozen soil sections. Resolution in autoradiography is customarily defined as the distance between the point of maximum density and that of half-density. Resolution is greatly influenced by type and energy of radiation, emulsion thickness, the thickness of the specimen, width of the gap between the specimen and the emulsion, and potential scattering from film backing.

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