The genomic effects of radiation exposure: induction of cancers and genetic aberrations in mammalian cells

Abstract

Radiation exposure can be a two-edged sword. On one hand, the deployment of radiotherapy is one of the most acceptable modalities for malignancy treatment, for the reason of its ability to kill cancer cells. Equally, one is scared of the exposure to man-made emissions in the form of nuclear disasters or related to any form of hilarious power generation during the war. It is rational to facilitate the body enduring small intensity of emissions without any marked side effects. However, there are countless detrimental side effects of being exposed to elevated levels of radiation. These harmful side effects form an underlying fear in the general public in understanding the actual mechanism and concrete remediation of radiation exposure. The present study investigates in detail the principles of radiation safety and how different types of radiation emissions affect the human body when exposed at different levels of their intensity. Furthermore, it is also conferred how cellular mutations are originated in different organs and body systems due to different levels of radiation exposure and also the potential of organisms to develop resistance (threshold limit) to counteract harmful effects of radiation.