Final answer:
The distribution of 99mTc labeled phosphate agent within the skeleton is actively related to areas with bone growth or repair, imaged using an Anger camera. 99mTc is favored for medical imaging due to its short half-life and ease of production, despite the lack of depth information in the imaging.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distribution of 99mTc labeled phosphate agent within the skeleton is actively related. Technetium-99m, represented as 99mTc, has several advantages for medical imaging, primarily due to its short 6.0-hour half-life and the ability to be easily and continuously produced on-site through neutron activation of molybdenum. When 99mTc is attached to phosphate compounds, it can be used for bone imaging because phosphates are naturally integrated into the bone matrix, particularly in areas with active bone growth or repair. This allows for the detection of abnormalities such as bone cancer, as regions with the most active bone cells will show higher concentrations of the radioactive tracer.
An Anger camera or gamma camera is commonly used to image the distribution of 99mTc in the skeleton. However, one limitation of this method is that it provides a two-dimensional image without depth information. Despite this limitation, the emitted gamma radiation from 99mTc has a sufficient range to leave the body, allowing for external detection and imaging.