ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Macintyre's X-Ray Film

Macintyre's X-ray film is a special kind of paper that doctors and dentists use to take pictures of the insides of our bodies. Just like when you draw on paper, teachers use special markers to write on a whiteboard or blackboard, the x-ray film is also used with a special machine called an x-ray machine.

Now imagine that you are playing with toy blocks, and you want to see what is inside a tall tower made of blocks. You can't see what's inside the tower from the outside, but if you use a flashlight to shine a light through the blocks, you can see the size and shape of what's inside the tower. That's exactly what happens when a doctor or dentist uses an x-ray machine. The machine passes special light through our bodies, and this helps the doctor or dentist see our bones, teeth, and other parts that are hidden underneath our skin.

Macintyre's X-ray film is a special kind of paper that captures the image of what the x-ray machine sees. This paper is very sensitive to light, and it can capture even the smallest details of what's inside our bodies. Once the x-ray machine has taken the picture, the film is developed just like a photo that you take with a camera.

The doctor or dentist can then look at the picture on the developed x-ray film and see if there is anything wrong inside our bodies. They can see if our bones are broken, if we have any cavities in our teeth, or if there is anything else inside our bodies that needs fixing. The x-ray film helps the doctor or dentist to understand what is happening inside our bodies, and it helps them to make us feel better.