Genetic effects of ionizing radiation--some questions with no answers.
There are a lot of questions about genetic effects of ionizing radiation, the main one is does ionizing radiation induce mutations in humans? There is no direct evidence that exposure of parents to radiation leads to excess heritable disease in offspring. What is the difference between human and other species in which radiation induced mutations are easily registered? During evolution germ cell selection ex vivo has been changed to a selection in vivo and we cannot observe such selection of radiation damaged cells in human. Low radiation doses - are they harmful or beneficial? The "hormesis" phenomenon as well as radioadaptive response proves positive effects of low radiation dose. Can analysis of chromosomal aberration rate in lymphocytes be used for dosimetry? Many uncontrolled factors may be responsible for significant mistakes of this method. Why did evolution preserve the bystander effect? This paper is discussion one and its goal is to pay attention on some effects of ionizing radiation.
Laboratory of Human Genetics, Institute of Genetics & Cytology, NAS of Belarus, 27, Akademicheskaya Str., 220072 Minsk, Belarus. i.mosse@igc.bas-net.by
Irma B
IB
Mosse
D005075:Biological Evolution; D024201:Bystander Effect; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D059165:Hormesis; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D011830:Radiation Effects; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D011874:Radiometry; D012641:Selection, Genetic