3 ms·
No, it is not binary. Alpha or beta particles damages DNA by breaking chemical bonds in the DNA backbone or bases, leading to single-strand breaks or more seve
by hammock 3y ago
No, it is not binary.
Alpha or beta particles damages DNA by breaking chemical bonds in the DNA backbone or bases, leading to single-strand breaks or more severe damage.
Gamma rays can directly ionize atoms, leading to the formation of free radicals and other reactive species. These free radicals can damage DNA by causing single-strand and double-strand breaks, base modifications, and other types of chemical damage.
Non-ionizing radiation can also damage DNA, in a number of different ways. UV radiation damages DNA in four different ways:
1) Thymine Dimers Formation: One of the most common types of UV-induced DNA damage is the formation of thymine dimers. In DNA, thymine (one of the four nucleotide bases) absorbs UV radiation and becomes excited. In this excited state, it can react with an adjacent thymine base on the same strand, forming a covalent bond between them. This creates a thymine dimer, which is a distortion in the normal DNA structure. Thymine dimers can disrupt the DNA replication and transcription processes, leading to genetic mutations if not properly repaired.
2) DNA Strand Breaks: UV radiation can also cause breaks in the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA molecule. These breaks can occur directly due to the energy of the UV radiation or indirectly through the formation of reactive oxygen species. DNA strand breaks can interfere with DNA replication and repair mechanisms.
3) Formation of Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimers (CPDs): CPDs are a specific type of thymine dimer that forms when two adjacent pyrimidine bases (usually thymine) become covalently bonded. These dimers create a kink in the DNA structure, causing distortion and affecting the proper functioning of DNA enzymes.
4) Oxidative Damage: UV radiation can lead to the production of reactive oxygen species within cells. These highly reactive molecules can damage DNA and other cellular components by causing oxidative stress.
There could be ways non-UV, non-ionizing radiation can damage DNA as well, and studies such as this one explore that idea.
- jjoonathan 3y ago> Non-ionizing radiation can also damage DNA, in a number of different ways. UV radiation damages DNA in four different ways: Good grief, what's with all the people confidently lumping UV and RF together? This is not a small distinction, a tiny fudge factor, a little oopsie-doodle. We are talking completely different ball games in completely different parks in different countries speaking different languages. The photon energies (and, therefore, the direct effects on matter) are wildly different. Would you rather be hit by a penny or hit by a car? UV: 3eV RF: .00001eV
- hammock 3y agoI didn't lump them together. My last sentence calls out non-UV (like RF) separately. I merely used UV as an example of non-ionizing radiation, which contrary to a suggested "binary rule" for ionizing/non-ionizing radiation, can actually damage DNA.
- jjoonathan 3y agoYou spent 93% of your post talking about effects that were removed from RF energy levels by 5 orders of magnitude or more, but didn't lump them together? Mmmhmm.
- atonse 3y agoThank you. This is so informative, wish I could bookmark it :)
- SigmundA 3y agoThe non-ionizing methods for EM are still based on photon energy for which RF has orders of magnitude less than UV which is ionizing on the high end and near ionizing on the low end. There is no know non-thermal mechanism which RF can cause DNA damage and you did not seem to present one, only that the photon energy of UV is high enough to cause photo chemical effects that RF simply cannot do.