Abstract

In this chapter, the biological effects of ionizing radiation are presented, beginning with the radiobiology of the mammalian cell. This includes the chromosome and chromatid aberrations resulting from radiation-induced damage of DNA (primarily double-strand breaks, DSBs), the mechanisms, and categories of cell death and of germ-cell mutation. The models of various cell survival curves are described, culminating with the linear-quadratic (LQ) model. The effects of ambient oxygen and LET upon producing cell lethality are considered. Due to its clinical applications, including therapeutic nuclear medicine, the LQ model is studied in detail. The LQ model is derived from a model of DSB production and repair kinetics and the Lea–Catcheside dose-protraction factor and the biological equivalent dose are derived from this result. Human somatic effects of radiation, including epidemiological studies of irradiated populations which provide our estimates of radiation risk, are reviewed. The chapter concludes with consideration of the radiation protection of the nuclear medicine patient, which includes the derivation of the effective dose, and a brief introduction to radiobiology considerations in therapeutic nuclear medicine.

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