RE: Radiation - net benefit or detriment?

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>]

You wrote :

	--The fact that the number of DSBs induced by radiation is linear
with dose seems obvious. However, it is estimated that chemical and
thermal effects induce about 200 DSBs per cell per year, whereas 10 rem of
radiation per year induces only about 4 per cell per year, so the
contribution of low level radiation to the body's DSB accumulation is
relatively negligible. This suggests that we consider the positive effects
of low level radiation - stimulation of immune system, stimulated
production of repair enzymes, etc - as relevant factors in deciding
whether the net effect is good or bad.
<><><><><><><><><><>

Question :  that being the case, what is so special about radiation damage
that it manages to evoke an immune response (hormesis), while all those
other DSBs don't ?
In other words, would one not expect the "hormetic message of a radiation
dose" to be swamped, just like it is in the category of damaging effects by
non-radiation agents ?

Just curious....

Thanks

Jaro
frantaj@aecl.ca
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