Characteristics
One characteristic of ionizing radiation on human body is that the energy absorbed is low but the biological effects are serious. For example after receiving a lethal dose of 10 Gy, the body temperature will only increase by 0.02 oC but the dose may lead to death of all the exposed entities.
The second characteristic is the latent biological effects of radiation. Acute biological effects can occur within several hours to several days while the long term effects usually appear several years after the exposure.
Type of effects
Generally speaking, the biological effects of ionizing radiation can be classified according to the characteristics of effects, occurring times and the object that shows the effects.
The effects of critical organs
Different organs have different sensitivity to ionizing radiation. For example, gonad and bone marrows are more sensitive organs, but the bones are less sensitive. For more information on organ sensitivity please press here.
