Radiation sickness is defined as illness and symptoms resulting from

Radiation sickness is defined as illness and symptoms resulting from

• A. Ingestion of spoiled food.
• B. Dehydration from heat.
• C. A viral infection.
• D. Illness and symptoms resulting from excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.

Answer: (D)

Radiation sickness occurs when the body is exposed to enough ionizing radiation to cause widespread cellular damage. Ionizing radiation ionizes molecules in the body, producing free radicals that injure and kill cells, with rapid-dividing cells like those in the bone marrow and the lining of the gastrointestinal tract especially affected. This cellular damage leads to the sequence of symptoms seen in acute radiation syndrome: early signs such as nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, followed by bone marrow suppression (increasing the risk of infection and bleeding), dehydration, and GI injury; at very high doses, the nervous system can be affected as well. The other scenarios describe illnesses caused by food poisoning, heat-related dehydration, or a viral infection, not by exposure to ionizing radiation. So the illness and symptoms come from excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.

Radiation sickness occurs when the body is exposed to enough ionizing radiation to cause widespread cellular damage. Ionizing radiation ionizes molecules in the body, producing free radicals that injure and kill cells, with rapid-dividing cells like those in the bone marrow and the lining of the gastrointestinal tract especially affected. This cellular damage leads to the sequence of symptoms seen in acute radiation syndrome: early signs such as nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, followed by bone marrow suppression (increasing the risk of infection and bleeding), dehydration, and GI injury; at very high doses, the nervous system can be affected as well. The other scenarios describe illnesses caused by food poisoning, heat-related dehydration, or a viral infection, not by exposure to ionizing radiation. So the illness and symptoms come from excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.