Gamma radiation are much the same as those of X rays both in medicine and in industry.
Gamma ray sources are used for cancer treatment and for diagnostic purposes also used as tracers (see radioactive isotope).
In industry, principal applications include inspection of castings and welds. Data from artificial satellites and high-altitude balloons have indicated that a flux of gamma radiation is reaching the earth from outer space, thus opening up the field of research known as gamma-ray astronomy.