Parent Nuclide Definition

by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
Updated March 08, 2017

Definition: A parent nuclide is a nuclide that decays into a specific daughter nuclide during radioactive decay.

Examples: Na-22 decays into Ne-22 by β+ decay. Na-22 is the parent nuclide and Ne-22 is the daughter nuclide.