Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider and he turned into Spiderman. The <\/p>\n
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were ordinary turtles until they were exposed to radioactive waste. Bruce Banner became the Incredible Hulk after he was exposed to gamma rays. The Fantastic Four, the Phoenix from X-Men, Daredevil… all were made superheros by exposure to some type of radiation.<\/p>\n
The question is… what effect does radiation actually have on the human body?<\/p>\n
First off… what is radiation? Well, radiation is a type of energy and there are several different types that fall into this category. <\/p>\n
Some radiation is always lurking in the background. It comes from cosmic rays or from radioactive sources that naturally exist in the environment. There’s really not anything we can do to prevent it or to completely eradicate it. Generally speaking, it’s not harmful.<\/p>\n
Things like light, radiowaves and microwaves are non-ionizing radiation. Your wireless devices, microwave ovens and sun tan all use this type of radiation. While it can be harmful to the body, think about the bad sun burn you got when you forgot sun screen, it’s not nearly as damaging as ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is produced by unstable atoms. When an atom is unstable, it does whatever necessary to become stable again. In order to do this, it emits its excess energy or mass. The energy or mass that is given off in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles is radiation. Examples of this are x-rays, gamma rays and beta and alpha radiation.<\/p>\n
Now, there are two types of radiation exposure. Internal exposure which occurs when radioactive materials enter the body directly and external exposure which occurs when such materials wind up on a person’s skin or clothes.<\/p>\n
Our bodies can handle a certain amount of radiation and does on a daily basis. But at high doses, we start to see hair loss, burns and skin redness. Lower doses given over long periods of time can be dangerous as well. Radiation can alter cells. These new and sometimes harmful cells then are able to divide the same way your healthy cells do. This can lead to cancer years after the exposure ceases.<\/p>\n
If a person is exposed to high doses of radiation in a short period of time, it is likely the person will develop acute radiation syndrome (also known as radiation sickness). The exposure causes cellular degradation. Low white and red blood cell levels, nausea and vomiting, headache and decreases level of consciousness are all symptoms one has been exposed to high levels of radiation. The skin may show signs of redness and blistering. The body has a decreased ability to heal and cancer is much more likely to occur.<\/p>\n
So then you ask how can radiation be helpful in treating cancer? Well, a high-energy radiation beam is directed at the tumor to damage the DNA of cancer cells. The damage is either done to the cell directly or by charging particles within the cell that will later alter the cell’s DNA. In either case, the hope is that the damage will leave the cancer cells unable to reproduce. They will then die off and the body will dispose of the cells naturally.<\/p>\n
And what about x-rays and other similar tests? Medical imaging technology can, and most likely has, caused cancer… but it has saved more people than it has harmed. Like everything in medicine, you have to way the risks and benefits with your doctor and make decisions accordingly.<\/p>\n
So, exposure to radiation probably isn’t going to make you a superhero. But the theory isn’t completely out there. As discussed, it can cause genetic mutation and there may be some gene in the human body that can be altered to give us new abilities. Genetic mutation after all is how we evolved into the beings we are today…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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