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Chemistry  /  Chem 2556  ·  Atom · ~20 seconds

Direct vs. Indirect Radiation Damage

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Ionizing radiation damages biomolecules directly by breaking bonds, or indirectly via a nearby water molecule ionized into a hydroxyl radical that damages it.

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A hydroxyl radical from ionized water can react with a DNA strand it never directly absorbed radiation from.

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Since water is abundant in a cell, indirect damage via hydroxyl radicals is often the dominant pathway, not a minor effect.

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