Abstract
Ionizing radiation can cause adverse health effects in humans. These effects fall
into two categories: deterministic and stochastic health events. Deterministic effects of
ionizing radiation in humans are the result of whole-body or local exposures that cause
sufficient cell damage or cell killing to impair function in the irradiated tissue or organ.
Stochastic health effects involve the non-lethal modification of a cell rather than its death.
This modification is conventionally considered to be due to mutation of the DNA of a cell
nucleus that can lead to cancer in the exposed individual if it occurs in a somatic cell. If
the affected cell is a germ cell, hereditary genetic anomalies in the descendants of the
exposed individual are another, though extremely rare, possible outcome
into two categories: deterministic and stochastic health events. Deterministic effects of
ionizing radiation in humans are the result of whole-body or local exposures that cause
sufficient cell damage or cell killing to impair function in the irradiated tissue or organ.
Stochastic health effects involve the non-lethal modification of a cell rather than its death.
This modification is conventionally considered to be due to mutation of the DNA of a cell
nucleus that can lead to cancer in the exposed individual if it occurs in a somatic cell. If
the affected cell is a germ cell, hereditary genetic anomalies in the descendants of the
exposed individual are another, though extremely rare, possible outcome
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | International Labour Organization |
| Number of pages | 116 |
| Volume | 73 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789221224136 |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Jun 2010 |
Publication series
| Name | Occupational Safety and Health Series |
|---|---|
| Publisher | International Labour Organization |
| No. | 73 |
