Detailed insight into radiation damage caused by slow electrons
Thursday, March 31, 2016 - 05:20
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists can only offer a partial explanation of how radioactivity damages biological cells. The current research focuses on the effect of so-called secondary particles. When radiation penetrates the body, it knocks out electrons from the biological molecules. These collide with other biomolecules and damage them. The genetic molecule DNA is also affected by this process, which can result in cancer in extreme cases. However, radiation and the associated secondary particles are also used in the targeted destruction of cancer cells.