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Related Concept Videos

Biological Effects of Radiation02:59

Biological Effects of Radiation

All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they produce ions...
Cellular Injury I: Introduction01:00

Cellular Injury I: Introduction

Cellular injury occurs when a cell cannot maintain homeostasis or adapt to stressors such as hypoxia, toxins, or trauma. Depending on severity and duration, injury may be reversible, allowing recovery, or irreversible, leading to cell death.General Mechanisms of Cell InjuryAlthough causes vary, most cellular injuries arise from a few key mechanisms that disrupt essential functions and often amplify one another. Cell survival depends on the extent and balance of these disturbances.ATP depletion...
Mutations01:35

Mutations

Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Cellular Injury II: Classification01:21

Cellular Injury II: Classification

Cellular injury is any process that disrupts a cell’s ability to maintain homeostasis, leading to structural or functional changes. It is broadly classified based on etiology (cause) and mechanism of damage.Classification by EtiologyCellular injury may result from several causes. Hypoxic injury happens due to reduced oxygen delivery, most commonly from inadequate blood supply, such as arterial obstruction; for example, coronary artery thrombosis can cause myocardial infarction. Chemical injury...
Cellular Injury IlI: Cellular Death01:11

Cellular Injury IlI: Cellular Death

Cell death is the irreversible loss of cellular structure and function, representing the final stage of severe injury. It plays a key role in both normal physiology and disease.Types of Cell DeathThe two main types are necrosis and apoptosis, though others like necroptosis and pyroptosis also exist.Necrosis:Necrosis is an unregulated form of cell death caused by severe injury such as trauma, toxins, or ischemia. It is characterized by cell swelling, membrane loss, rupture, and leakage of...
Cellular Injury IV: Necrosis01:16

Cellular Injury IV: Necrosis

Necrosis is a form of irreversible cell death caused by severe injury such as ischemia, toxins, or trauma. Unlike programmed cell death, it is an uncontrolled, pathological process that typically provokes inflammation in surrounding tissues.Pathophysiologic ChangesNecrosis begins when cells sustain critical damage, leading to swelling of organelles, particularly mitochondria, and rapid ATP depletion. As energy levels decline, membrane ion pumps fail, leading to calcium influx and eventually,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation
11:24

Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation

Published on: July 3, 2015

Cellular low-dose effects of ionizing radiation.

Stefan Buzatu1

  • 1Department of Biophysics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova, Romania. stbuzatu@umfcv.ro

Rivista Di Biologia
|December 3, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Absorbed dose doesn't capture energy deposition fluctuations from ionizing radiation. Non-targeted effects like genomic instability are crucial for understanding low-dose radiation's biological impact and cancer risk.

Area of Science:

  • Radiation biology
  • Cellular and molecular biology
  • Radiobiology

Background:

  • Absorbed dose is the primary measure for radiation energy deposition, but it overlooks stochastic fluctuations at the cellular level.
  • Traditional models link cancer induction to direct DNA damage, suggesting a linear dose-response at low doses.
  • Epidemiological data indicate increased cancer risk from ionizing radiation above tens of mGy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the limitations of absorbed dose in characterizing low-dose radiation effects.
  • To explore non-targeted biological responses to radiation.
  • To discuss the implications of these effects on the radiation dose-effect relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current models of radiation effects.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation
11:24

Measuring DNA Damage and Repair in Mouse Splenocytes After Chronic In Vivo Exposure to Very Low Doses of Beta- and Gamma-Radiation

Published on: July 3, 2015

  • Analysis of studies on non-targeted biological responses.
  • Consideration of epidemiological evidence for low-dose effects.

    • Main Results:

    • Energy deposition fluctuations between cells are significant at low doses.
    • Non-targeted effects (genomic instability, hypersensitivity, adaptive/bystander effects) demonstrate mechanisms beyond direct DNA damage.
    • These effects can alter the dose-effect relationship, potentially causing saturation above a threshold dose.

    Conclusions:

    • Standard absorbed dose metrics are insufficient for low-dose radiation risk assessment.
    • Non-targeted effects are critical for understanding cellular responses to radiation.
    • A revised understanding of radiation biology is needed to accurately predict cancer risk at low doses.