5: Biological Effects Flashcards
(55 cards)
What is the annual background dose of radiation that Canadians receive?
1.2 - 3.2 mSv
What is the radioisotope that is found in ALL living creatures?
Carbon-14
How is carbon-14 formed?
Cosmic rays interacting with the atmosphere
What are somatic effects?
Effects experienced by exposed individual (other than reproductive cells)
What are genetic effects?
Passed from parent to child causes by mutations in sperm/egg cells
What is acute exposure?
Exposure to a large dose in a short amount of time
What is chronic exposure?
Irradiation over long period of time at lower intensity levels
What are short term/prompt somatic effects?
Evident short time after exposure (hours, days, weeks)
What are long term/delayed effects?
Don’t become apparent until years, decades or generations after exposure
What are stochastic effects?
Associated with chronic exposure with no known minimum threshold.
(Show up years after exposure, increased levels more likely, do not affect severity/effect.)
What are non-stochastic effects?
Below a known threshold effects do not occur, appear in cases of high exposure levels and become more severe as exposure increases.
What is the ratio of red to white cells?
600:1
Red blood cells carry oxygen where?
Carry oxygen to respiratory organs and collect carbon dioxide to bring back to respiratory organs
White blood cells combat infection, but too many cause what?
Leukaemia
Alpha particles and gamma rays have same amount of what?
Energy
What do alpha particles do inside the body?
Deposit all of its energy in very small volume of tissue.
What do gamma rays do inside the body?
Spread energy over larger volume.
Alpha particles are approximately how much bigger than Beta particles?
7000x bigger
Who is most affected by radiation?
Fetus/embryo
Why are children more affected by radiation?
They’re growing, so more cells are dividing and there’s a greater opportunity to disrupt the process.
What kind of radiation are burns caused by?
Localized acuren exposure to high levels.
Radiation sickness is from what kind of exposure?
Acute exposure.
What happens when one gets radiation sickness?
Entire body absorbs a dose of at least 1 Gy.
(6+ Gy to whole body are not treatable - often lead to death 2 days to several weeks after)
Early symptoms: nausea/vomiting
Higher doses: ulcers, dizziness, hair loss
What is a mutation due to radiation?
Chromosomes containing the genetic blueprint are passed down for generations UNLESS genetic mutation caused by external factor.
