Question

Discuss:

a. What is ionizing radiation?

b. Three possible effects of exposure of ionizing radiation on living cells.

c. Two factors that determine the severity of ionizing radiation.

Answer 1

Ans :-a) Ionizing radiation is generally considered to be any form of radiation exposure that will produce a subatomic ionizing event. Ionizing radiations may be in the form of either electromagnetic waves or particles, but it must have sufficient energy to cause ionization in target molecules.

In simple words we can also say that ionizing radiation is energy released by atoms in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles.

For eg alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays etc.

Ans :-b) The effect of radiations on cell are :-

i) The cell may suffer enough damage to cause loss of proper function and cell will die.

ii) The cell may loss its ability to reproduce itself.

iii) The cell's genetic code may be damaged such that future copies of cells are altered, which may result in cancerous growth.

Ans :-c) The severity of ionizing radiations mainly depend on -

i) radiation dose

ii) the dose rate

iii) way of exposure

iv) the spatial distribution

V) The radiation type