![]() Bq and Ci measure radioactive decay, while Gy and Rad measures absorbed doses. Radiation units can measure radioactive decay, absorbed dosage, and human absorbed doses. There are several methods to measure radiation hence, there are several radiation units based on different radiation factors. Because gamma rays have such high penetrating power and can damage living cells to a great extent, they are often used in irradiation, a process used to kill living organisms. They have large penetrating range and can diffuse through many cells before dissipating, causing widespread damage such as radiation sickness. ![]() Unlike alpha and beta particles, which are charged particles, gamma rays are instead forms of energy. Gamma rays are often considered the most dangerous type of radiation to living matter. Beta particles are also damaging to DNA, and therefore are often used in radiation therapy to mutate and kill cancer cells. Alpha particles have a very small absorption range, and thus are usually not harmful to life, unless ingested, due to its high ionizing power. Sunburn is an effect of UV radiation damaging skin cells, and prolonged exposure to UV radiation can cause genetic information in skin cells to mutate, leading to skin cancer.Īlpha, beta, and gamma rays also cause damage to living matter, in varying degrees. Most external radiation is absorbed by the environment for example, most ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer, preventing deadly levels of ultraviolet radiation to come in contact with the surface of the earth. Effects from exposure to radiation include leukemia, birth defects, and many forms of cancer. Damage to DNA can cause cellular death, mutagenesis (the process by which genetic information is modified by radiation or chemicals), and genetic transformation. The most destructive effect radiation has on living matter is ionizing radiation on DNA. Radiation either ionizes or excites atoms or molecules in living cells, leading to the dissociation of molecules within an organism. This is due to radiation’s ionizing ability, which can damage the internal functioning of cells. Prolonged exposure to radiation often has detrimental effects on living matter. Radio waves, microwaves, and neutron radiation (an important application in fission and fusion) all fall under non-ionizing radiation, as their respective energies are too low to ionize atoms. This is known as “non-ionizing radiation.” Non-ionizing radiation has enough energy to excite electrons to move to a higher state, releasing photons of electromagnetic radiation such as visible light, near ultraviolet, and microwaves. This type of radiation is known as “ionizing radiation.”Īll charged particles and rays have the ability to be radioactive however, not all rays and particles have the energy per photon to ionize atoms. Other forms of ionizing radiation can produce UV and gamma rays in a similar manner. By doing so, packets of energy are released in the forms of X-ray photons. If the electrons have sufficient energy, the inner shell electrons of the atom fall out, and higher-leveled electrons fill in the hole left by the previous electrons. Most X-ray emission is due to the bombardment of electrons on a metal target. ![]() ![]() Artificially induced radioactivity utilizes primary and secondary ionizations in order to emit X-rays. ![]() Radiation can be both natural and synthetic. Production of X-Rays and Electromagnetic Radiation Electromagnetic waves can also ionize, hence the reason electromagnetic radiation is often placed as part of ionizing radiation. However, a common misconception is that the higher ionizing power a particle has, the more damaging it is to matter. Of the three, alpha particles are known to have the most “ionizing power,” a term describing the number of ion pairs produced per centimeter through a material, followed by beta, then gamma. Radioactive decay of atoms creates three radioactive particles, alpha, beta, and gamma. Unlike ionizing radiation, electromagnetic radiation deals with electric and magnetic field oscillations such as with X-rays, radio waves, or gamma rays. Ionizing radiation refers to radioactive particles, such as alpha and beta particles, or electromagnetic waves, such as gamma or ultraviolet rays, which have sufficient energy to detach electrons off of atoms to create ions, hence the name “ionizing radiation.” Electromagnetic radiation, which sometimes can be placed as a subcategory of ionizing radiation, deals with waves or photons from the electromagnetic spectrum. There are many types of radiation, but the two most common are electromagnetic radiation and ionizing radiation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |