Four Basic Radiation Types
Hereditary defects
If damage caused by radiation occurs in germ cells, this damage may be transmitted and become evident as hereditary disorders (mutations and chromosomal aberrations) in the descendants of the individual exposed. One such effect is the production of dominant mutations leading to genetic disease in the first generation progeny, which may be as severe as to be life-threatening.
Although it is assumed that hereditary effects will be mostly restricted to the first and second generations of progeny, it is also assumed that any non-lethal damage to germ cells may be further transmitted to subsequent generations.
