X rays send small amounts of radiation

X rays send small amounts of radiation through the body. Because bone is dense, few X rays pass through, so bones show up as white unexposed areas on the X ray image. Softer tissues, such as muscle and blood, appear as gray shadows on the film. Depending on what part of your body is to be X rayed, you will be asked to lie on a table, sit or stand. A lead apron may be draped over part of your body to shield from X rays. With a chest X ray, you will be instructed to take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds.