Interpreting the biological effects of protons as a function of physical quantity: linear energy transfer or microdosimetric lineal energy spectrum?

ABSTRACT: The choice of appropriate physical quantities to characterize the biological effects of ionizing radiation has evolved over time coupled with advances in scientific understanding. The basic hypothesis in radiation dosimetry is that the energy deposited by ionizing radiation initiates all the consequences of exposure in a biological sample (e.g., DNA damage, reproductive cell death). Physical quantities defined to characterize energy deposition have included dose, a measure of the mean energy imparted per unit mass of the target, and linear energy transfer (LET), a measure of the mean energy deposition per unit distance that charged particles traverse in a medium. The primary advantage of using the "dose and LET" physical system is its relative simplicity, especially for presenting and reco

SUBMITTER: Guan F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11502811 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature