Ionising Radiation Can Damage Cells and Tissues

Question 1

What can beta and gamma radiation penetrate and why?

Answer 1

The skin and soft tissues to reach the delicate organs inside the body

Question 2

What does this make beta and gamma radiation?

Answer 2

More hazardous than alpha when outside the body

Question 3

What happens if beta or gamma radiation get inside the body?

Answer 3

Their radiation most passes straight out without doing much damage

Question 4

Where do alpha sources do all their damage?

Answer 4

In a very localised area - making it dangerous if in body

Question 5

What happens when radiation enters your body?

Answer 5

It will collide with molecules in your cells. These collisions cause ionisation, damaging/destroying the molecules

Question 6

What does the extent of the harmful effects depend on?

Answer 6

How much exposure you have to the radiation, and it’s energy and penetration

Question 7

What do lower doses tend to cause? What can this cause?

Answer 7

Minor damage without killing the cell - can cause mutations in cells which divide uncontrollably - cancer

Question 8

What do higher doses tend to do?

Answer 8

Kill cells completely, causing radiation sickness