Radiation and X-ray Discovery Quiz

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Questions and Answers

Who was the first recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1901 for the discovery of X-rays?

Fritz Giesel

Henri Becquerel

Wilhelm Röntgen (correct)

Marie Curie

What percentage of all diagnostic medical X-rays in the UK is accounted for by dental radiography?

20%

26% (correct)

30%

15%

What is the main purpose of the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IR(ME)R17)?

To monitor radiation levels in the environment

To ensure radiation protection for patients (correct)

To protect workers from radiation

To regulate the use of non-ionising radiation

What is one beneficial effect of ionisation events mentioned in the content?

Prevention of rickets Signup and view all the answers

Which type of radiation is commonly associated with harmful effects?

Ionising radiation Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant characteristic of the first dental X-ray taken in December 1895?

It involved a 30-minute exposure. Signup and view all the answers

What fundamental concept distinguishes ionising radiation from non-ionising radiation?

Ionising radiation has enough energy to cause damage to molecules. Signup and view all the answers

What is the unit used to measure absorbed dose?

Gray Signup and view all the answers

How is the equivalent dose calculated?

Absorbed dose multiplied by the radiation weighting factor Signup and view all the answers

What does effective dose account for in radiation exposure?

The varying radiosensitivity of different tissues Signup and view all the answers

What is the absorbed dose of alpha particles in the lungs equivalent to?

20 mSv Signup and view all the answers

What factors influence the damaging potential of different types of radiation for the same dose?

The radiation weighting factors and radiosensitivity of tissues Signup and view all the answers

What is formed when hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals combine?

Hydrogen Peroxide Signup and view all the answers

Which type of radiation is more likely to cause significant damage due to ionization?

Alpha particles Signup and view all the answers

What is a direct effect of radiation on DNA?

Changing DNA structure Signup and view all the answers

What are the possible outcomes of tissue ionization due to X-rays?

Cell repair and fatal damage Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not a somatic effect of radiation exposure?

Genetic mutations in offspring Signup and view all the answers

In which area do genetic effects of radiation exposure primarily occur?

Gonadal tissues Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant indirect effect of radiation on DNA?

Chemical changes from free radicals Signup and view all the answers

How does ionization of water affect cellular structures?

It leads to the formation of harmful free radicals Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about DNA change due to radiation is true?

Changes can be fatal or heritable Signup and view all the answers

What defines deterministic effects in relation to threshold doses?

They are known to happen above a specific threshold dose. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary cause of tissue reactions?

Cell death and impairment of function. Signup and view all the answers

Which organ is considered highly sensitive due to continuously proliferating cells?

Bone marrow Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following symptoms is associated with exposure to a dose of 1-2 Sv?

Slight blood changes and vomiting within 3 hours. Signup and view all the answers

How does the severity of tissue reactions change with increasing doses?

Severity increases once the threshold is exceeded. Signup and view all the answers

What is the threshold dose for cataract formation in the eye, according to recent findings?

5 Gy Signup and view all the answers

What dose correlates with severe blood changes and loss of hair within 2 weeks?

2-6 Sv Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario is most likely to NOT involve very high threshold doses?

Diagnostic imaging procedures. Signup and view all the answers

What can result from exposure to doses greater than 10 Sv?

Coma and possible death. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes stochastic effects?

They have a probability of occurring based on the dose. Signup and view all the answers

What is the established threshold dose for radiation exposure, below which the risk of adverse effects is considered lower?

500 mSv Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following conditions is NOT considered a tissue reaction due to radiation exposure?

Cancer development Signup and view all the answers

What does an increase in radiation dose correlate with?

Increase in secondary cancer risk Signup and view all the answers

Which effect is due to the malfunction or killing of cells from high doses of radiation?

Radiation sickness Signup and view all the answers

What is the risk associated with radiation exposure above 100 mSv considered to be?

Well-verified effects Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the risk of disease in offspring due to mutations in reproductive cells caused by radiation?

Genetic effects Signup and view all the answers

In terms of radiation exposure, which model suggests that lower levels of radiation can be beneficial?

Lower Risk model Signup and view all the answers

What is the unit for measuring energy absorbed per unit mass due to radiation exposure?

Joule.kg-1 Signup and view all the answers

What happens to cancer risk as a person ages?

It increases for younger individuals Signup and view all the answers

Which statement regarding the threshold dose of radiation is true?

Any dose of radiation increases the risk of effects Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Discovery of X-rays and Radioactivity

Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895, winning the first Nobel Prize in 1901.
Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity in 1896, a term coined by Marie Curie
The first dental X-ray was performed in 1895 by Otto Walkhoff and Fritz Giesel, though involved a painful 30-minute exposure. Fritz Giesel died from a hand cancer.

Introduction to X-rays

Dental radiography accounts for 26% of all diagnostic examinations in the UK, and ~15% globally.
1.5 billion intra-oral, OPG, lateral cephs, and CBCT examinations are performed globally.
UK legal requirements are defined by IRR17 (Ionizing Radiation Regulations 2017)

Radiation Protection

Safety guidelines protect workers and the public, including dentists, pilots, and nuclear workers.
Regulations address procedures for patients (IR(ME)R17) related to specifically the radiation dose.

Radiation Definition

Radiation is the emission of energy.
Ionizing radiation can be harmful, it is essential to distinguish between ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation.
Radiation is commonly tied-up with ionizing radiation, but is important to distinguish between the two.

Beneficial Effects of Ionization Events

Vitamin D activation
Prevention of rickets
Osteomalacia
Image enhancement/diagnostics (X-rays)
Radiotherapy (Gamma rays)

What is Radiation?

Radiation is the emission of energy.
Radiation can be ionizing, or non-ionizing.

Tissue Reactions/Responses

Radiation can have detrimental impacts on tissues.
Fatal and non-fatal tissue damage and DNA changes may occur.
Specific examples include cancer and heritable effects.

Adverse Health Effects of Radiation Exposure

Somatic effects occur in the exposed individual.
Genetic effects occur in offspring.
Stochastic effects (like cancer) happen randomly due to chance.
Deterministic effects (like radiation burns) happen reliably above a certain threshold dose.

Acute Effects Following Large Whole Body Doses of Radiation

Slight blood changes: decrease in white blood cell count
Vomiting: within 3 hours (fatigue, loss of appetite, blood changes). Recovery usually within weeks.
More severe effects: Vomiting within 2 hours, severe blood changes, loss of hair within 2 weeks. Death can occur within 2 weeks.
Very severe effects: Vomiting 1 hour, severe tissue damage, severe blood changes, death within 2 to 4 weeks.
Brain damage, coma and death can occur above a certain threshold dose. This is rare with routine diagnostics.

Radiation Doses from Dental Radiology

Modern equipment lowers doses at the lower end of the ranges for common procedures.
Intra-oral procedures (X-rays of jaws) have similar doses.
Panoramic (full-mouth) X-rays have similar doses.
CBCT has higher doses.
CT scans have similar doses.

Effective Dose and Dose Optimization in Radiology

The dose of X-rays must be appropriate for the given circumstances. The radiation should have a proper dosage depending on different factors.
Dose depends on factors like the size and type of image being produced and the type of X-ray procedure.
Modern equipment lowers doses, often requiring less exposure time and lower settings.

Optimum Radiation Practices

Check on radiation safety once every three years.
Measurement of dose should be by a qualified person.

X-ray Tube, Exposure, and Rectification

Voltage is crucial for the creation of X-rays.
Alternating current (AC) X-ray machines require rectification. Rectification is needed for AC machines to ensure the correct energy is available for optimum imaging.
Proper rectification is necessary for optimal imaging and minimizing dose to patients during X-ray production.

X-ray Filtration

X-rays that are lower energy photons are filtered out.
This improves image quality.
Filtering ensures only necessary higher energy photons contribute to the final image.
Filtering decreases the amount of harmful radiation received by patients; optimizing image quality and patient safety.

Collimation in Radiology

Collimation restricts the X-ray beam to the area of interest.
Reduces scatter radiation, which contributes to image noise and increases dose.
Using a controlled area reduces the dosage of X-rays given to patients.
Reducing scatter lowers the dose for patients.

X-Ray Safety and Optimization

Protecting staff is crucial.
Safe procedures and distances are vital.

Ionizing Radiation - Types and Sources

Types of radiation, like X-rays and gamma rays, have distinctive properties.
Background radiation varies depending on factors like environmental factors, geographical area, etc..

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Description

Test your knowledge on the historic discoveries of X-rays and radioactivity, including key figures like Wilhelm Röntgen and Henri Becquerel. Explore the significance of dental radiography and the essential radiation protection guidelines in practice today.