Final Answer:
In order to utilize the anode heel effect, the body area being radiographed with the greatest thickness should be positioned towards the cathode end of the X-ray tube.
Step-by-step explanation:
To make use of the anode heel effect in radiography, the body area with the greatest thickness should be positioned towards the cathode end of the X-ray tube. The anode heel effect occurs because X-rays are more intense on the cathode side of the X-ray tube. As X-rays travel through the anode, they become more absorbed, resulting in a decrease in intensity on the anode side. Placing the thicker part of the body, such as the chest or abdomen, towards the cathode end ensures that the X-ray beam is more intense when passing through the thicker anatomy, compensating for the attenuation and producing more uniform image quality.
Understanding and properly utilizing the anode heel effect is crucial in obtaining well-exposed and diagnostically valuable X-ray images.