The use of muonic atoms in biomedical researches (review)

The review based on the experimental works of USA, West Germany scientists, the scientists of LNP JINR, shows the possibilities of muon atom application for comparative element analysis in biology and medicine. The unique and wide possibilities of muon diagnosis method are shown. Experiments both in vitro and in vivo were conducted. Investigation resulted in demonstration of variation of C, N, O amount in investigated tissue samples; the relative oxygen content grows in progression: adipose tissue, muscular tissue, liuer, blood. It is shown that the method enables to determine the content of any element no matter in what chemical compound this element enters. The method of muon atoms has some advantages as compared with other nuclear physics methods. Method restriction lies in the absence of high-intensive meson beams, which is related to method sensitivity. Another disadvantage consists in impossibility to register hydrogen therefore the method must be expanded by other methods of analysis for the purpose of investigation of different functional changes in organism