title: Cytogenetics research in radiation biology.
abstract: Radiation cytogenetics goes back approximately six decades and not only contributed to the earliest development of radiobiology, but continues to contribute today. Contributions on three levels are outlined here. Early contributions to radiobiological theory include the nature of dose-effect curves, dose-rate and fractionation effects, and linear energy transfer (LET) effects. Understanding of the roles of aberrations in endpoints such as cell killing, mutation and carcinogenesis have more recently contributed to unraveling mechanisms in these important radiobiological effects. Finally, the study of various details of classical radiation cytogenetics, such as half chromatid exchange or sister chromatid union, has contributed to our current understanding of cytogenetic phenomena on the molecular level.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000528:radiation effects; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003582:Cytogenetics / Q000266:history; D004249:DNA Damage; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D011853:Radiobiology / Q000266:history; D012106:Research / Q000266:history