| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Ionizing radiation | Is capable of removing orbital electrons from matter and is responsible for biological damage; i.e. x-rays as opposed to visible light |
| Radiation protection | Effective measures employed by radiation workers to safeguard patients, personnel, and the general public from unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation |
| Natural Background | A source of ionizing radiation that includes radon, cosmic radiation, terrestrial radiation, and internal radiation |
| Man-made Radiation | Radiation that is derived from medical/dental, industrial, and consumer products |
| Radon | Radioactive gas from breakdown of radium in the earth; natural |
| Cosmic radiation | Radiation from the sun and the stars |
| Terrestrial radiation | Radioactive elements in earth's crust |
| Internal radiation | Within our own bodies from ingestion of food |
| Medical/dental radiation | The greatest exposure source of man-made radiation |
| 1904 | Year of the first U.S. fatality from over-exposure |
| Clarence Dally | Assistant of Thomas Edison who died from radiation-induced malignancy |
| Somatic Effects | A category of biological effects of radiation that describes general body cells; Any radiation damage would be apparent to the individual within his lifetime |
| Genetic Effects | A category of biological effects of radiation that describes cells of the reproductive organs (ovum/sperm); Radiation damage to these cells may affect future generations |
Combine with other sets
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