Absorption of 1.0 rad of which of the following types of radiation will result in the greatest tissue damage?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Alpha radiation consists of high-energy helium nuclei (two protons and two neutrons), and because they are relatively heavy and have a strong positive charge, they are highly ionizing and can cause significant damage to biological tissues. Beta radiation (consisting of electrons) and gamma radiation (consisting of high-energy photons) are also ionizing and can cause tissue damage, but alpha radiation is the most damaging of the three because its heavier particles transfer energy more quickly over a shorter distance, leading to a higher likelihood of ionization and damage to biological molecules. Lambda radiation (which refers to wavelength, not a specific type of radiation) is not ionizing and therefore does not cause tissue damage.