The Biological Effects of Radiation Whether the source of radiation is natural or man made, whether it is a small dose of radiation or a large dose, there will be some biological effects. Radiation causes ionizations of atoms, which will affect molecules, which may affect cells, which may affect tissues, and so on. Although most people tend to think of biological effects in terms of the effect of radiation on living cells, in actuality, ionizing …showed first 75 words of 618 total…

…showed last 75 words of 618 total…after birth. This is, in fact, a special case of the somatic effect, since the fetus is the one exposed to the radiation. There is always some risk with any exposure to radiation. However, exposure to radiation does not always guarantee bodily harm. On the other hand, it is important to know that more exposure means more risk, and that there is no dose of radiation so small that it will not have some effect.