EESA10H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Microwave Oven, Relative Biological Effectiveness, Acute Radiation Syndrome
18 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Toxicodynamics: interactions that result in changes in tissue structure or function which may have an adverse effect on health. Radiation: energy in transit, in packets, behaving either as particles or as waves. Source of natural radiation: (cannot be controlled) Background radiation: natural radioactivity on earth and by cosmic rays from space. Certain isotopes of some chemical elements i. e. uranium are unstable or radioactive. To achieve more stable forms, an atom of a radioactive isotopes ejects a part of its nucleus - this is called radioactive decay. The particle ejected from the nucleus of an atom during radioactive decay can either be an alpha or beta particle. Alpha: consist of two protons plus two neutrons. Beta: an electron that is negative initially and once ejected, becomes a proton. The ejection of the alpha or beta particle causes the nucleus to lose a proton. Source of manmade radiation: (these can be controlled) which changes the chemical element.
