RADIOBIOLOGY

AND

RADIATION
PROTECTION
(RT 106)

Course Title:
RADIOBIOLOGY
AND
RADIATION
PROTECTION
(RT 106)

Course Description:
Deals with the study of the
effects of ionizing radiation on
biological
matters,
the
principles
of
radiation
protection as well as agencies
and institutions mandated to
regulate and monitor the safe
use
of
radiation
and
radioisotope in medicine.

Course Objectives:
At the end of the course,
student is expected to
understand
the
basic
concept
of
radiation
interaction as it relates to
radiation
biology
and
protection.

COURSE OUTLINE:
l. Review of Basic
Radiation Concepts
ll. Radiation Biology
lll. Radiation Protection

COURSE OUTLINE:
l.Review of Basic
Radiation Concepts
al.Radiation Biology
lll. Radiation Protection

RADIOBIOLOGY
Is the science dealing with the
study of the effects of IONIZING
RADIATION (x-rays, gamma rays
& beta particles)
on biologic
tissue or living X-RAYS
organisms.GAMMA
RAYS

The following are the some

effects of excessive IONIZING
RADIATION exposure.

CATARACT

MOIST
DESQUAMATION

CONGENITAL
MALFORMATION
EPILATION

RADIATION PROTECTION
Is the science and practice of
protecting the people (radiation
workers, members of the public,
and patients undergoing radiologic
medical imaging procedures &
radiation
therapy)
against
the
harmful
effects
of ionizing
radiation.
RADIOGRAPHY

RADIOTHERAPY

PART 1.
REVIEW
OF
BASIC RADIATION
CONCEPT

What is
RADIATION?

Is

RADIATION

the
energy
emitted,
travelled, and transferred
through space and material
in
the form of rays, waves
and particles.

X-Rays

Medical
Ultrasound

Beta
Particles

EXAMPLE OF RADIATION
VISIBLE LIGHT
radiated from
the SUN, MICROWAVES from
an
OVEN,
MEDICAL
ULTRASOUND
from
DIAGNOSTIC
ULTRASOUND
MACHINE,
X-RAYS
from
X-RAY MACHINE, GAMMA RAYS,
ALPHA and BETA PARTICLES
from RADIOACTIVE ATOMS
(Thorium and Uranium).

TWO (2)
CLASSIFICATION
OF

RADIATION

1.) NON-IONIZING
RADIATION
2.) IONIZING
RADIATION

CLASSIFICATION OF RADIATION

1.) NON-IONIZING
RADIATION

Is any kind of radiation for which

the mechanism of action in
biologic tissue does not directly
ionize
atomic or molecular
system
through a single
interaction.
This type of radiation has NO
HARMFUL
EFFECTS
in
biologic
tissue of the human body.

NON-IONIZING RADIATION
EXAMPLE: VISIBLE LIGHT
radiated from the SUN,
MEDICAL
ULTRASOUND
from
DIAGNOSTIC
ULTRASOUND MACHINE &
RADIOFREQUENCY
RAYS
( Radio Waves and Magnetic
Field )
from
MAGNETIC
RESONANCE SCANNER.

VISIBLE LIGHT radiated from

the SUN

Medical Ultrasound

MEDICAL ULTRASOUND from

ULTRASOUND MACHINE

RADIOFREQUENCY RAYS
(Radio Waves and Magnetic Field) from
MAGNETIC RESONANCE SCANNER

2.) IONIZING RADIATION

Is a special type of radiation
that includes
X-RAYS.
IONIZING RADIATION
is
any
kind of radiation capable of
removing
an orbital electron
from the atom
X-RAYS
with which interacts.

This type of radiation can

GIVE HARMFUL EFFECTS in
biologic tissue if it is absorbed
more than the prescribed dose
limit.
CATARACT

MOIST
DESQUAMATION

EPILATION

CONGENITAL
MALFORMATION

IONIZING RADIATION
Example: X-RAYS from X-RAY
MACHINE, GAMMA RAYS from
RADIOACTIVE
ELEMENT
COBALT 60 SOURCE (COBALT
60 TELETHERAPY MACHINE),
ALPHA and BETA PARTICLES
from
RADIOACTIVE ATOMS
(Thorium and Uranium ).

X-RAY TUBE

X-RAYS

X-RAYS
RADIOGRAPHY

X-RAYS from X-RAY MACHINE

60
GAMMA
RAYS

GAMMA RAYS from

RADIOACTIVE ATOMS

COBALT 60
Source
GAMMA
RAYS

RADIOTHERAPY

Radioactive
Atom/Element

ALPHA & BETA PARTICLES from

RADIOACTIVE ATOMS
(Thorium and Uranium)

IODINE 131

STRONTIUM 90

NUCLEAR MEDICINE

TWO (2) TYPES

OF

IONIZING
RADIATION

1.)

ELECTROMAGNETIC
RADIATION

2.) PARTICULATE
RADIATION

1.) ELECTROMAGNETIC
RADIATION - is an oscillating

electric and magnetic fields that

travel in a vacuum with the velocity
of light (186,000 miles/second). It
includes X-rays, Gamma Rays, and
some non-ionizing radiation (such as
visible light, ultraviolet & infrared
radiation,
and
radio waves.
X-Rays

Gamma Rays

X-RAYS
Are penetrating, ionizing
electromagnetic
radiation
that has a wavelength much
shorter than that
X-Ray Tube
of visible light.
It is also called
photons
and
X-Rays
roentgen rays.

X-Ray Tube

X-Rays

X-RAYS

RADIOGRAPHY

X-RAYS have a range of

approximately 100 meters in
AIR and 30 centimeters in
TISSUE.

X-RAYS are used to make or

produce MEDICAL IMAGES of
Mammogram
structures
and organs
of the human
body
for Radiograph
DIAGNOSIS
and
TREATMENT
of diseases.
CT Scan
MR Scan

RADIOGRAPHY

CHEST X-RAY (Heart & Lungs)

With the used of X-RAYS

MAMMOGRAPHY

(X-RAY EXAMINATION)
OF THE BREAST

With the used of X-RAYS

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
SCANNING
(CT SCANNING)

With the used of X-RAYS

CARDIOVASCULAR
INTERVENTIONAL
TECHNIQUE

With the used of X-RAYS

RADIOTHERAPY

(LINEAR ACCELERATOR)

With the used of HIGHVOLTAGE X-RAYS

GAMMA RAYS
Are
penetrating,
ionizing
electromagnetic radiation of short
wavelength
emitted
by
the
nucleus
of radioactive
atom
Cobalt 60
(Cobalt 60) during
its decay.
6
0
Radiotherapy

GAMMA RAYS are used in

RADIOTHERAPY
for the
treatment
of
neoplasms
(Cancer andCobalt
Tumor).
60

Radiotherapy

Cobalt

GAMMA RAYS have a range of

approximately 100 meters in
AIR and 30 centimeters in
TISSUE.
Cobalt

COBALT 60 ( 60C) a radioisotope of

the silver-white metallic element that
emits high-energy gamma rays and is
the most frequently used radio60

isotope in
RADIOTHERAPY.
Half-Life
5.2 years

Form

Administration

External

Machine

(Cobalt Unit)

(Teletherapy)

CESIUM 137 ( 137Cs)

a radioactive
atom that is used in RADIOTHERAPY
as a sealed source of gamma rays
intended for application to various
malignancies that are treated by
BRACHYTHERAPY.
Half-Life
30.2 years

Form
In needles
Capsules

Administration
Interstitial
Intra-cavitary

RADIO-FREQUENCY (RF) RAYS

Are
non-ionizing,
electromagnetic
radiation
with
frequencies from 0.3
kHz
to
300
GHz;
MAGNETIC
RESONANCE IMAGING
uses RF in the range
of approximately 1 to
100 MHz.

Cobalt

MEDICAL ULTRASOUND
Are sound waves at
the very high frequency of
over 20,000 vibrations
per
second
used
in
ULTRASONOGRAPHY to
visualize
subcutaneous
body structures including
tendons, muscles, joints,
vessels and
internal organs for possible
pathology or lesions and
for fetal monitoring.

Cobalt

2.) PARTICULATE RADIATION

are those radiation in particles
emitted by the nucleus of a RADIOACTIVE ATOMS (Radionuclides or
Radioisotopes) during

its decay.

It includes alpha and BETA

Particles,
electrons,

neutrons,
and
protons.

Radioactive
Atom

BETA PARTICLES
Are particulate, ionizing radiation
with characteristics of an electron
emitted from the nucleus of RADIOACTIVE ATOMS (Radionuclides or
Radioisotopes) during its radioactive
decay. Beta particle have a range of
approximately 10 meters in AIR
and 12 centimeters

in TISSUE.

BETA PARTICLES emitted by

radioactive atoms (radionuclides
or radioisotopes)
are used in
NUCLEAR MEDICINE for medical
imaging and treatment
of diseases.
IODINE 131

STRONTIUM 90

Comparison
of Alpha Particles,
Beta Particles,
Gamma Rays and XRays

X-rays

How easily are four (4) common

types of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma,
and x-rays) STOPPED? The graphic
above shows that alpha particle is
stopped by a sheet of paper, skin and
body tissues stops beta particles, but
lead or concrete are required to stop
gamma rays and x-rays.