Effects of Ionizing Radiation on DNA

Effects of Ionizing Radiation on DNA

Introduction

Radiation is a process of transmission of waves or particles through space or some medium. Waves and particles have many common characteristics; the radiation tends to occur predominantly in one of two ways. Radiation corresponds to mechanical waves gets transmitted only through matter as sound waves. Electromagnetic radiation is independent of matter for its propagation, however, the speed, intensity and direction of energy flow gets influenced by the presence of matter. Electromagnetic radiation gets divided into two types according to the changes that cause the atoms, in which it operates (Mills, Ferguson, & Alt, 2003).

Discussion

Alpha radiation is an ionizing radiation characterized by a low permeability. Alpha radiation is a stream of alpha particles. Alpha particle (hellion) consists of two protons and two neutrons. It has a positive charge and is identical with the nucleus of an atom of the isotope 4He, so often marked her as HE2+. The name comes from the Greek letter a. Alpha particles gets produced by the nuclei of radioactive elements like uranium (element) and rad (root). However, nucleus, which emits an alpha particle usually, remains in the excited state, which gets associated with the additional emission of gamma quanta. However, the collapse of alpha involves strong interactions (Mills, Ferguson, & Alt, 2003).

Beta radiation (ß radiation) - an ionizing radiation emitted by radioactive nuclei during nuclear transformation. Beta radiation produced during beta decay is a stream of electrons or positrons moving at a speed close to the speed of light. Beta radiation gets strongly absorbed by matter, through which it passes. This radiation gets absorbed by the copper plate already.

Gamma rays are high energy form of electromagnetic radiation. The gamma radiation gets considered the quantum of energy greater than 10 keV, corresponding to a frequency greater than 2.42 EHz a wavelength less than 124 pm. This range overlaps with the range of X-rays. In many publications distinguish between gamma rays and X-rays gets based on their sources, and not on wavelength. Gamma radiation gets produced by nuclear transformations or kernels or collisions of subatomic particles and X-rays, as a result of collisions of electrons with atoms. Gamma rays can be used to sterilize medical equipment, as well as food products. In medicine, they got used in radiotherapy (the cobalt bomb) for the treatment of cancer, as well as in diagnosis such as positron emission tomography ...