Who wants to know the several factors that determine the biological effects of a particular source of radiation? :D
In other words, I don't want to do my chemisty so instead I'm procrasting
...with more chemisty... (This does not bode well for my future)
(The abridged version)
1. The energy of the radiation: radiation doses are measured in
rads (short for
radiation
absorbed
dose), the higher the energy content that more damage can be caused.
2. The penetrating ability of the radiation: The particles and rays produced in radioactive processes vary in their abilities to penetrate human tissue.
3. The ionizing ability of the radiation: Extraction of electrons from biomolecules to form ions is particularly detrimental to their functions. The ionizing ability of radiation varies dramatically.
4. The chemical properties of the radiation source: When a radioactive nucleotide is ingested into the body, its effectiveness in causing damage depends on its residence time.