ABSTRACT
Ionizing radiation, that portion of the spectrum that can cause serious cell damage, includes all wavelengths of 1000 Å or less (see Table 12). Ionizing radiation, by stripping electrons from molecules as it passes through tissues, produces ionized species of everything from H
O to macromolecules like DNA. These ionized species are unstable and reactive, and can produce dramatic disruptions in cell function, including mutation.
