Radiation Exposure - The Discovery Of Radiation, Radiation Comes In Many Forms, Measuring Exposure To Radiation , Sources Of Radiation
ionizing biological particles tissue
Radiation exposure occurs any time that energy in the form of electromagnetic rays or particles interacts with biological tissue. Ionizing radiation is particularly energetic; examples include: x rays, gamma radiation, and subatomic particles. Biological damages caused by exposure to ionizing range from mild tissue burns to cancer, genetic damage, and ultimately, death. However, there are potential benefits of controlled exposures to certain kinds of radiation, which can be used for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of certain diseases. Exposure to many types of radiation is routinely monitored using sensitive devices, such as film badges and dosimeters.
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In the mid 1880s, James Maxwell published a mathematical description of the wave motion of heat and light, the only forms of radiation known at the time. As scientists discovered other forms of radiation (such as x rays, radio waves, microwaves, and gamma rays) they found that their physical behavior could also be described by Maxwell's equations, and that they were all part of the same, co…
The word radiation refers to two closely related things. First, it refers to forms of radiant energy, particularly that represented by subatomic particles (for example, the type of radiation released during a nuclear explosion), and by electromagnetism (for example, the type of radiation emitted by a light bulb, and by the sun). Sound is also considered a type of radiation. The word radiation can …
The first commonly used unit for measuring the biological effects of x-ray exposure was the roentgen. It was named after the German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen, who discovered x rays in 1895. A roentgen is the amount of radiation that produces a set number of charged ions in a certain amount of air under standard conditions. This unit is not, however, particularly useful for describing the potentia…
Exposure to ionizing radiation can be divided into two categories: natural and anthropogenic (i.e., associated with human activity). Background radiation is mostly due to solar radiation in the form of cosmic rays, and also radioactivity from rocks. Exposure to background radiation is continuous, although its intensity varies. The sun is also the main source of ultraviolet radiation. Each person i…
How energy from radiation is transferred to the body depends on the type of radiation. Visible light and infrared radiation, for example, transfer their energy to entire molecules. The absorbed energy causes greater molecular vibration, which can be measured as heat (or thermal energy). With many forms of ionizing radiation, energy is transferred to electrons that surround atomic nuclei. Atoms aff…
The public is increasingly becoming aware of the dangers of radiation exposure. Less than a generation ago, many people considered a dark suntan to be a sign of health and vigor. Today, health experts are working hard to convince people that excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation, and to similar ultraviolet emitted by lamps in tanning salons, increases the risk of skin cancers and prema…
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