1. Nuclear Chem notes – “How does nuclear radiation affect living tissue

2. Alpha, beta, or gamma radiation damages DNA
Alpha particles can’t penetrate your skin, but if you inhale them, effects can be severe
This is why radon gas in homes can be so dangerous

3. Alpha can’t penetrate barriers very well – bigger particles
Beta can penetrate barriers better
Gamma can go right through a lot of barriers

4. When radiation hits molecules, it often creates “free radicals”
Free radical – uncharged fragments of molecules
A covalent bond is broken, so electrons are unpaired, and these free radicals are highly reactive

5. Radiation exposure causes radiation sickness = a group of sicknesses that cause nausea, white blood cell drop, rapid cell division, problems with cell reproduction
Note: problems with cell division often means cancer

6. If cells survive high energy radiation, they will be mutated
If cells survive high energy radiation, they will be mutated! Their DNA will be messed up!
If mutations are in egg or sperm cells, children can have problems
If mutations in somatic (rest of the body) cells, you have problems

7. How to protect ourselves from radiation?
Have barriers that absorb it (think vest you put on at the dentist, or dental assistant stepping out of room during x-ray)
Stay away from it
And limit your exposure to it (nurses wear a Geiger counter– if radiation measurement is too high, they have to go home)
** Please consider getting a radon test kit from the Weber Co. Health Dept., or at least talking to your parents about it