How does radiation cause a mutation?
How does radiation cause a mutation?
High levels of ionizing radiation can result in double-strand DNA breaks. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun results in dimerization of thymidine residues in DNA, and defective repair of these dimers leads to mutation.
What is radiation and why is it dangerous?
Radiation damages the cells that make up the human body. Low levels of radiation are not dangerous, but medium levels can lead to sickness, headaches, vomiting and a fever. High levels can kill you by causing damage to your internal organs. It’s difficult to treat high radiation exposure.
What is a radiation mutation?
When ionizing radiation causes DNA damage (mutations) in male or female reproductive (“germ”) cells, that damage can be transmitted to the next generation (F1). This is in contrast to mutations in somatic cells, which are not transmitted. Detection of human germ cell mutations is difficult, especially at low doses.
What are three causes of radiation?
On this page
- Natural background radiation. Cosmic radiation. Terrestrial radiation. Inhalation. Ingestion.
- Artificial sources of radiation. Atmospheric testing. Medical sources. Industrial sources. Nuclear fuel cycle.
How does radiation work in physics?
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: gravitational radiation, radiation that takes the form of gravitational waves, or ripples in the curvature of spacetime.
How does radiation affect the human body?
How Radiation Affects Your Body. Radiation can damage the DNA in our cells. High doses of radiation can cause Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) or Cutaneous Radiation Injuries (CRI). High doses of radiation could also lead to cancer later in life.
Where is radiation found?
Radiation is natural and found everywhere – it comes from outer space, the air we breathe, and the earth we tread. It’s even in our bodies; naturally occurring radioactive elements in our bones irradiate us on average 5000 times per second.