Which imaging modality uses X-ray beams that penetrate the body to produce a photographic image, commonly used to view bones?

• A. Ultrasound
• B. X-ray
• C. MRI
• D. Computed Tomography

Answer: (B)

X-ray imaging uses beams that pass through the body to create a photographic image on film or a detector. Dense structures like bones absorb more X-rays, so they appear bright on the image, giving a quick, high-contrast view of bone alignment and fractures. This favors bone assessment more than other modalities: ultrasound relies on sound waves and is better for soft tissues and fluids; MRI uses magnetic fields to image soft tissues with superb contrast but not the same bone detail on a single photo; CT also uses X-rays but combines multiple angles to build cross-sectional slices or 3D reconstructions, not a single flat radiographic photograph.