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Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education | ISSN: 2161-0711 | Volume 8
&
Medical Sociology & Public Health
3
rd
World Congress on
Public health and Epidemic diseases
International Conference on
September 21-22, 2018 | Dallas, USA
Effect of radiation on deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA): The fundamental blueprint for all of the body's
structures
Raymond Limen Njinga
North-West University, South Africa
E
xternal or internal sources of radiation may have some impact on the living tissues. The functions of all living tissue are carried out
by molecules. These molecules are combinations of different types of atoms which are bonded by chemical bonds. They depends
upon their composition, structure or shape. Radiation exposure to a certain dosage might alter or break the chemical bond between
two carbon atoms and change the composition or structure. Of all the molecules in the body, the most crucial is the deoxyribose
nucleic acid (DNA) which encodes the blueprint in each cell as a long sequence of molecules wound around proteins and packed into
structures called chromosomes within the cell nucleus. In this study we investigate the effect of indirect action on the DNA due to
free radical from ionize water molecules. The free radical reacts with other DNA molecules as it seeks to restore a stable configuration
of electrons thereby causing biological effects. From this studies, a dose of about 100 gray would cause the cell not to perform its
function while a mean lethal dose of 2 gray would cause the cell not to reproduce, but still performs its other functions. However,
it was revealed that if the irradiation dose from the free radicals in water does not kill the cell it would create an error in the DNA
blueprint. This may contributes to eventual loss of control of cell division. Hence, the cell begins dividing uncontrollably causing
cancer which might be long or short term depending on the level of dosage and time of exposure. Excess dose may also alter the DNA
resulting to cell mutations that occur in germ cells called genetic or heritable effects and at least 1,300 diseases are known to be caused
by a mutation.
rlnjinga@gmail.comJ Community Med Health Educ 2018, Volume 8
DOI: 10.4172/2161-0711-C4-042