A radiation burn is damage to the skin or other biological tissue caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. The most common type of radiation burn is a sun burn caused by UV light. High exposure to x rays during diagnostic medical imaging or radiotherapy have also resulted in radiation burns. As the ionizing radiation interacts with cells within the body, damaging them, the body responds to this damage, typically resulting in erythema, redness around the damaged area. Radiation burns are often associated with cancer due to the ability of ionizing radiation to interact and damage DNA, occasionally inducing a cell to become cancerous. Model of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system; which is composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... Biological tissue is a group of cells that perform a similar function. ... Ionizing radiation is a type of particle radiation in which an individual particle (for example, a photon, electron, or helium nucleus) carries enough energy to ionize an atom or molecule (that is, to completely remove an electron from its orbit). ... A sunburn is a radiation burn to the skin produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, commonly from the suns rays. ... Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength shorter than that of the visible region, but longer than that of soft X-rays. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... Medical imaging is the process by which physicians evaluate an area of the subjects body that is not normally visible. ... Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis). ... Ionizing radiation is a type of particle radiation in which an individual particle (for example, a photon, electron, or helium nucleus) carries enough energy to ionize an atom or molecule (that is, to completely remove an electron from its orbit). ... A cell is a single unit or compartment, enclosed by a border or wall. ... Erythema is an abnormal redness of the skin caused by capillary congestion. ... When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ... Ionizing radiation is a type of particle radiation in which an individual particle (for example, a photon, electron, or helium nucleus) carries enough energy to ionize an atom or molecule (that is, to completely remove an electron from its orbit). ... Space-filling model of a section of DNA molecule Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life (and many viruses). ...
Radiation poisoning, also called "radiation sickness", is a form of damage to organic tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.
For many short term radiation deaths (3 days to 30 days) the loss of cells forming blood cells (bone marrow) and the cells in the digestive system (microvilli which form part of the wall of the intestines are constantly being regenerated in a healthy human) cause death.
As radiation causes damage to the blood forming tissues in the bone marrow it is common to use blood transfusions or in extreme cases a bone marrow transplant to treat the person.
In medicine, a burn is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation (an example of the latter is sunburn).
Burns that injure the tissues underlying the skin, such as the muscles or bones, are sometimes characterized as fourth-degree burns.
Electrical burns are generally symptoms of electric shock, being struck by lightning, being defibrillated or cardioverted without conductive gel, etc. The internal injuries sustained may be disproportionate to the size of the "burns" seen - as these are only the entry and exit wounds of the electrical current.
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