ionizing radiation
Radiation is simply energy released in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles. With reference to health, radiation generally refers to high-energy forms of radiation that have the potential to cause death of the cell or mutations in the DNA. Radiation has always been present everywhere on earth; indeed, radiation accounts for part of the baseline mutation rate in nature and so contributed to the evolution of life as we know it. [Source: Encyclopedia of Global Health; Background Radiation]
health sciences
background radiation
concepts