Health Risks of Ionizing Radiation: - Clark University
Health Risks of Ionizing Radiation: - Clark University
Health Risks of Ionizing Radiation: - Clark University
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Glossary 203<br />
Hypothyroidism: The clinical consequences <strong>of</strong> inadequate levels <strong>of</strong> thyroid hormone in the body. When<br />
thyroid deficiency is long-standing or severe, it results in diminished basal metabolism, intolerance <strong>of</strong><br />
the cold temperatures, fatigue, mental apathy, physical sluggishness, constipation, muscle aches, dry<br />
skin and hair, and coarsening <strong>of</strong> features.<br />
IgM: Immunoglobulin M, the most efficient antibody in stimulating complement activity.<br />
Incidence: The frequency <strong>of</strong> new cases <strong>of</strong> a disease or condition in a specific population or group.<br />
In utero: Within the uterus. In utero exposures are those received by a fetus while in the womb.<br />
In vitro: Studies carried out in cell or culture systems outside the whole organism.<br />
Incidence: The number <strong>of</strong> new cases <strong>of</strong> a disease in a population over a period <strong>of</strong> time.<br />
Infant Mortality: The number <strong>of</strong> deaths <strong>of</strong> children younger than 1 year <strong>of</strong> age per 1000 live births per<br />
year.<br />
International Commission on <strong>Radiation</strong> Protection (ICRP): An international not-for-pr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
organization that studies the effects <strong>of</strong> radiation to evaluate risk and create safety standards.<br />
Inverse Exposure-Rate Effect: The enhancement <strong>of</strong> an effect as the intensity <strong>of</strong> the exposure decreases<br />
(i.e., low-level chronic exposures would be riskier than high-level more acute exposures)<br />
Iodine-131: A radioactive isotope <strong>of</strong> iodine. Iodine is an element required in small amounts for healthy<br />
growth and development. It is mainly concentrated in the thyroid gland where it is needed to<br />
synthesize thyroid hormones. 131I is used as a radioactive tracer in nuclear medicine and is found in<br />
fallout from nuclear testing. 131I has been demonstrated to cause thyroid cancer in humans. Iodine-<br />
131 has a relatively short physical half-life (8 days).<br />
<strong>Ionizing</strong> radiation: <strong>Ionizing</strong> radiation is radiation with enough energy so that during an interaction with<br />
an atom, it can remove tightly bound electrons from their orbits, causing the atom to become charged<br />
or ionized. Examples are gamma rays and neutrons.<br />
Irradiation: Exposure to radiation.<br />
Lag: The period <strong>of</strong> time between the application <strong>of</strong> a stimulus and the resulting reaction. Note: “lag”<br />
is used in epidemiological studies to describe the statistical factoring <strong>of</strong> a “latency period” in a risk<br />
analysis.<br />
Latency Period: The time from the stimulus (radiation exposure) to the response <strong>of</strong> the tissue stimulated<br />
(cancer).<br />
Leukemia: A class <strong>of</strong> hematological (associated with blood and blood forming tissues) malignancies in<br />
which immortal clones <strong>of</strong> immature blood cells multiply at the expense <strong>of</strong> normal blood cells. As<br />
normal blood cells are depleted from the body, anemia, infection, hemorrhage or death result. Types<br />
include chronic or acute, myeloid or lymphocytic, and these are <strong>of</strong>ten abbreviated (CML, CLL, AML,<br />
ALL).