Somatic and Genetic Damage

There are two kinds of damages that give bad effects on people because of radiation. These damages are called the Somatic and the Genetic damage. These two damages are different from each other though has the same cause; Radiation. The somatic damage destroys enough molecules to damage bodily functions. One theory, which is The Somatic Theory, states that an important part of aging is determined by what happens to our genes after we inherit them. From the time of conception, our body's cells are continually reproducing. Each time a cell divides, there is a chance that some of the genes will be copied incorrectly, this is called a mutation. Additionally, exposures to toxins, radiation or ultraviolet light can causes mutations in your body's genes. The body can correct or destroy most of the mutations, but not all of them. Eventually, the mutated cells accumulate, copy themselves, and cause problems in the body's functioning related to aging. Genetic damage is the term for the late damage that occurs as a result of irradiation of the reproductive organs and which appears as genetic defects in the offspring of people subjected to irradiation. in the case of cancer, it is difficult to say whether a certain case is the result of irradiation or any other type of effect. We can only talk about the probability that a given dose implies genetic damage. It has been impossible to prove a greater amount of genetic damage in the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki than in a corresponding population group unaffected by radiation. The assumed connection between radiation dose and genetic damage in humans is therefore based solely on experiments using animals. On this basis it is reckoned that a radiation dose of 1 Gray implies just as much genetic damage in one generation as occurs "naturally". With us having this knowledge about these damages that may give bad and harmful effects on us, we should be aware and careful for if these damages affect us, we may be sorry for these give big and bad effects not just on us but also on the next life or generation (sons/daughters,etc.). Reference: http://EzineArticles.com/5115753

People who are at risk for overexposure to X-rays

There are a lot of people who are at risk for over exposure to x-rays. Some are students, patients, etc. But most of all, the most exposed group of people are the patients in hospitals. People who are receiving treatment for cancer or are required to undergo CT scan (computed tomography) receive the most amount of x-ray radiation according to an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In America, radiation from CT scans done in 2007 caused 29,000 cancers and kill nearly 15,000. This happens because the excess amount of x-rays received by the body may cause damage on to the healthy cells, causing them to mutate into a cancerous tissue. Therefore, people who are undergoing CT scans are at risk of developing cancer. CT scans are used to give doctors a view inside of the body. The use of CT scans eliminates the need for exploratory surgery. However, a person undergoing CT scan receives a higher dose of radiation as compared to the conventional x-ray. Radiation dosage vary between different types of CT studies, from a median or midpoint of 2 millisieverts for a routine head CT scan to 31 millisieverts for a scan of the abdomen and pelvis, which often involves taking multiple images of the same organ. Students who are required to submit chest x-rays are also prone to receive higher dose of radiation. University clinics often require students to submit the x-rays as a completion of their medical examination. If these trends are to continue, they may develop cancerous tissues in the body due to overexposure to x-ray. Ray Sahelian M.D., X-Ray Risk from Overexposure to Radiation, Danger and Safety, CT scan, MRI safety. Retrieved September 18, 2011 from http://www.raysahelian.com/xray.html