Ionizing Irradiation: An Introduction To Ionizing Radiation

I. Introduction to Ionizing Radiation:

i. What is Ionizing Radiation?

Ionizing radiation is any type of particle or electromagnetic wave that carries enough energy to ionize or remove electrons from an atom. There are two types of electromagnetic waves that can ionize atoms: X-rays and gamma-rays. X-rays and gamma rays are both types of high energy, high frequency electromagnetic radiation that have no charge or mass (weight) propagating as a bundle of energy known as photons. Both X-rays and gamma rays have the same properties and health effects. Gamma radiation is produced by interactions within the nucleus, while X-rays are produced outside of the nucleus by electrons. There are officially two types of ionizing radiation that are energetic

This is the major contributor to worldwide radiation exposure, Non-medical, man-made radiation used in small amounts in food irradiation, airport security scanners, and some consumer products. Exposure to man-made radiation can happen in certain workplaces, or in communities as a result of above ground nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents and Medical radiation used as a diagnostic aid as x-ray machines, CT scans, and other tests, as well as in treatment i.e. radiation therapy. Radiation therapy or radiotherapy is used in the treatment of cancer using higher doses of ionizing radiation than that used in diagnostic aids. Why do I need IR?

If ionizing radiation passes through a cell in the body, it can lead to mutations (changes) in the cell’s DNA, the part of the cell that contains its genes (blueprints). Sometimes this causes the cell to die, but sometimes it can lead to cancer later on. The amount of damage caused in the cell is related to the dose of radiation it receives. The damage takes place in only a fraction of a second, but other changes such as the beginning of cancer may take years to

(Yadav, Yadav 2013 j conserve dent). (Sabine Sennhenn-Kirchner et al, Dental therapy before and after radiotherapy–an evaluation on patients with head and neck malignancies. Clin Oral Invest (2009) 13:157–164). It is concerned with the delivery of the correct radiation dose to the tumor mass.

Radiation exposure can be expressed in certain units; The absorbed dose is the amount of energy deposited per unit of mass, measured in grays (Gy). A milligray (mGy), which is 1/1000th of a Gy, may also be used. The equivalent dose is the absorbed dose multiplied by a converting factor based on the medical effects of the type of radiation. It is often expressed in sieverts (Sv) or millisieverts (mSv), which is 1/1000th of a Sv. For x-rays and gamma rays (and beta particles), the equivalent dose in Sv is the same as the absorbed dose in Gy. (bulucu. QI 2006) ii. Mechanism(direct and