Ch 7-9 Flashcards
(180 cards)
Branch of biology concerned with the effects of ionizing radiation on living systems
Radiation biology
3 areas of study included in radiation biology
Sequence of events occurring after the absorption of energy from ionizing radiation Action of the living system to make up for the consequences of this energy assimilation Injury to the living system that may be produced
Damages living systems by ionizing the atoms comprising the molecular structure of these systems
Ionizing radiation
Biologic damage begins with the ionization produced by various types of radiation such as (5)
X-rays Gamma rays Alpha particles Beta particles Protons
________ will not bond properly in molecules
Ionized atoms
3 things that vary among the different types of radiation and determine the extent to which different radiation modalities transfer energy (harm/damage) into biologic tissue
Charge Mass Energy
3 important concepts that help us understand the way ionizing radiation causes injury and how the effects may vary in biologic tissue
Linear energy transfer Relative biologic effectiveness Oxygen enhancement ratio
The average energy deposited per unit length of track by ionizing radiation as it passes through and interacts with a medium along its path A very important factor in assessing potential tissue and organ damage from exposure to ionizing radiation
Linear Energy Transfer (LET)
What is the unit of LET?
keV/μm
2 radiation categories according to LET
Low-linear energy transfer radiation High-linear energy transfer radiation (more damage)
What is the rate of energy from ionizing radiation used for diagnostic purposes to soft biologic tissue?
About 3 keV/μm
When low-LET radiation interacts with tissue it causes damage to a cell primarily through an _______ action that involves the production of molecules called __________ (bad for you)
Indirect, free radicals
2 examples of low LET radiation
X-rays Gamma rays
6 examples of high LET radiation
Alpha particles Beta particles Protons Ions of heavy nuclei Charged particles released from interactions between neutrons and atoms Low-energy neutrons
High LET = _______ RBE
High
Because low-LET radiation generally causes sublethal damage to DNA, ______________ can usually reverse the damage
Repair enzymes
The LET for alpha particles is ______ times the LET of electrons
1000
High LET radiation is of greatest concern when _______________ is possible
Internal contamination
4 examples of internal contamination, that is when a radionuclide has been:
Implanted Ingested Injected Inhaled
Describes the relative capabilities of radiation with differing LETs to produce a particular biologic reaction
Relative biologic effectiveness (RBE)
The ratio of the radiation dose required to cause a particular biologic response of cells or organisms in any oxygen-deprived environment to the radiation dose required to cause an identical response under normal oxygenated conditions
Oxygen enhancement ratio (OER)
What is the OER of x-rays and gamma rays when the radiation dose is high?
3.0
What is the OER of x-rays and gamma rays when the radiation dose is below 2 Gyt?
2.0
Oxygenated state
Aerobic