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From this lesson and for the exam, you should be able to:
State that radiation can kill living cells or change the nature of living cells. State that radiation energy may be absorbed in the medium through which it passes. State that the dose equivalent is measured in sieverts. State that for living materials, the biological effect of radiation depends on the absorbing tissue and the nature of the radiation. Understand that the dose equivalent measured in sieverts takes account of the type and energy of radiation.
Radiation
What types of radiation are harmful? Why is ionising radiation harmful?
Radiation may be absorbed by the medium it passes through. Radiation can kill living cells or change the nature of living cells.
All living things contain living cells. We have many different types of cells which perform different functions including:
Skin cells. Red blood cells (they transport oxygen around the body) White blood cells (they fight infection). Nerve cells. Muscle cells. Brain cells.
Short-term effects usually occur when theres a large amount of exposure to radiation.
Exposure to ionising radiation does not necessarily cause cancer The mechanisms for cancer occurring are poorly understood at the moment. One theory is that the ionising radiation affects the DNA material within us our genetic make-up. Our DNA contains genetic instructions which control the operation and reproduction of the cells. If ionisations caused by ionising radiations alter these instructions in the DNA, there is a chance that cancer will develop. Genetic damage can be caused to cells by radiation, including cells which are involved in reproduction.
Quality Factor
Different types of radiation have different effects on living cells.
Even though the same type of tissue may receive the same dose, the biological effects of different radiations will be different. To take this into account, a quality factor is assigned to all types of radiation.
The quality factor, Q, allows the effects that different radiations have on living cells to be compared.
Quality Factor
The quality factor for each type of radiation is shown below:
From this it can be seen that alpha radiation is the most ionising radiation out of the three types.
Dose Equivalent
REMEMBER, the biological effect of radiation depends on: The type of radiation. The type of body tissue or body organ that absorbs the radiation. The total amount of energy absorbed.
The DOSE EQUIVALENT is a measure of the biological effect of radiation and it takes account of the type and energy of the radiation as well as how the radiation is distributed.
Because 1 Sv is a very large dose of radiation which could only happen as a result of a very serious nuclear accident or explosion, doses are given in millisieverts (mSv) or microsieverts ( QSv).
Suppose that 100 people all receive a dose equivalent of 1 Sv spread over the whole body. It is estimated that, of the 100 people on average 4 of them would eventually die as a result of the radiation. But precisely who would die, or when they would die, or what illness they would die of, cannot be predicted.
Background Radiation
Radiation is all around us!