Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Mutations

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...

Mutations

Mutations

Biological Effects of Radiation

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...

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide Excision Repair

DNA Distortion and Damage
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Cancer Prevention

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Organ-specific cancer risks following exposure to radiation can be explained by a shift of spontaneously arising cancers toward younger ages.

International journal of radiation biology·2025

Same author

Symposium report-ethical and social considerations regarding return of secondary findings in atomic bomb survivors.

Carcinogenesis·2025

Same author

Overview and future studies of potential hereditary effects of parental exposure to atomic bomb radiation on their offspring.

Carcinogenesis·2025

Same author

An examination of the dose rate effect in mice assuming that the carcinogenic effect of radiation is life shortening resulting from a tissue reaction.

International journal of radiation biology·2025

Same author

Morphogenesis-coupled DNA repair - in mammalian embryogenesis, morphogenesis and DNA double strand break (DSB) repair are carried out simultaneously to ensure normal development.

Journal of radiation research·2024

Same author

Reasons why the idea that radiation exposures induce cancer needs to be revisited.

International journal of radiation biology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

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

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

Radiation effects on human heredity.

Nori Nakamura¹, Akihiko Suyama, Asao Noda

¹Department of Genetics, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan; email: nori_nakamura@rerf.or.jp , asnoda@rerf.or.jp , ykodama@rerf.or.jp.

Annual Review of Genetics

|August 31, 2013

Summary

Radiation exposure can cause germ cell mutations in animals, but human studies lack clear evidence due to limited genetic markers and small sample sizes. Detecting radiation-induced genetic effects in humans remains challenging.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

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

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

Area of Science:

Radiation biology
Human genetics
Molecular epidemiology

Background:

Ionizing radiation exposure is known to induce germ cell mutations in experimental organisms like fruit flies and mice.
However, conclusive evidence for radiation-induced germ cell mutations in humans, manifesting as birth defects or genetic disorders, is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the challenges and current status of detecting radiation-induced germ cell mutations in humans.
To discuss the limitations in human genetic studies following radiation exposure.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on radiation exposure and genetic mutations in humans and experimental models.
Analysis of factors hindering the detection of human germ cell mutations, including genetic marker availability and population size.

Main Results:

Experimental models show increased mutation frequencies after radiation, but human data remains inconclusive.
Lack of sensitive genetic markers and limited sample sizes of highly exposed individuals have hampered human studies.
The human genome's inherent variability and estimated low mutation rate per gene per gray (Gy) complicate detection.

Conclusions:

Detecting radiation-induced genetic effects in humans is challenging due to methodological limitations and biological factors.
Childhood cancer survivors represent a key population for future human radiation genetic studies.
Further advancements in genetic analysis are needed for conclusive evidence.