Radiation

Basics of Radiation

• Energy that comes from a source and travels through material or space.

• Light, heat and sound are types of radiation.• The kind of radiation discussed in this presentation is

called ionizing radiation because it can produce charged particles (ions) in matter.

• Three types of radiation - Alpha, Beta, Gamma

Enjoy!

Alpha• Alpha rays are fast moving positively charged

helium atoms. They have high energy, but due to their large mass, they are stopped by just a few. tiny inches of air or a piece of paper.

Beta• Beta rays are fast moving electrons and are

lighter than helium atoms, they are able to penetrate further, through several feet of air, or several millimeters of plastic or less of very light metals.

Gamma• Gamma Rays are photons, just like light,

except of much higher energy.• X-Rays and Gamma Rays are basically one in

the same, the difference is how they were produced.

• Depending on their energy, they can be stopped by a thin piece of aluminum foil, or they can penetrate several inches of lead.

How is Health related to Radiation ?

• Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. X-rays, gamma rays, and charged particles are types of radiation used for cancer treatment.– EX: kills cancer cells by damaging their DNA (the molecules inside cells

that carry genetic information and pass it from one generation to the next).

• Radiation therapy can either damage DNA directly or create charged particles within the cells that can in turn damage the DNA.

Harms of Radiation

• Radiation Therapy Harms the Brain, Causing Memory and Attention Problems

• Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/028065_radiation_therapy_brain.html#ixzz1KZw4QPQy