Physics Nuclear Physics ETEA 2016
PMDC Verified Question 68 of 98
Radiation damages living organism is primarily due to:
A
Excitation phenomena
B
Ionization
C
Photo electric effect
D
Heating
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option B: Ionization


Concept:

Nuclear radiation (alpha, beta, gamma) carries immense kinetic energy compared to molecular bonds.

Solution:

  • When these high-energy particles pass through biological tissue, they violently strip electrons off cellular atoms, a process known as ionization.


  • This ionization breaks molecular bonds, corrupts DNA, and produces highly reactive free radicals inside the cell, which directly causes radiation sickness, mutations, and cancer.


Why other options are incorrect:

While excitation and photoelectric effect occur, they are secondary sub-mechanisms. Heating from standard environmental radiation is negligible. Ionization is the primary destructive mechanism.

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