# Radiation --- **Radiation** is an emission or transmission of energy either as waves or particles. This can be anywhere from [[electromagnetic spectrum|EM radiation]], to acoustics, to [[radioactivity|radioactive]] alpha or beta radiation. ## Ionizing Radiation **Ionizing radiation** is radiation with high enough energy to knock [[atom|electrons]] off of atoms. This is particularly bad for us because if this happens to our [[DNA]] we're in trouble. That still being the case, there are examples of good uses of ionizing radiation, such as with x-rays. ### X-Rays [[x-ray|X-rays]] are an artifical form of [[radioactivity#γ Decay|gamma radiation]] used for medical imaging. ## Non-Ionizing Radiation **Non-ionizing radiation** is radiation that is too low-energy to alter atoms. It may cause damage, but this damage is relativly large-scale and obvious, like heat burns from microwaves. This form of radiation starts at the low end of ultraviolet light. ### UV-Radiation **UV radiation** is [[electromagnetic spectrum#Ultraviolet Light|EM waves]] in the ultraviolet range. On Earth we get UV radiation from the sun. Getting this on our skin can actually cause damage in the form of [[thymine dimers]]. This damage to DNA can cause [[skin cancer]]. ## Particle Radiation **Particle radiation** is physical particles like from [[radioactivity#Radioactive Decay|radioactive decay]] ___