| It is generally recognized that energy absorbed from ionizing radiation (gamma rays) can inactivate biological material in two ways. A direct effect occurs when the primary event, i. e., ionization, is produced in the molecule itself. This is the case when a compound is irradiated in dry state. When a compound is irradiated in a solution, the indirect effect joins the direct(9). Since water is the most abundant constituent of biological material, it is important to consider the species produced by excitation and ionization of water itself, and the reaction of these species with the target molecules of biological importance. This indirect effect results from the reactions among the studied molecules and the products of radiation interaction with water or... |
