Question
After exposure to ionising radiation, colls can divide uncontrollably. This is known as what?
Answer
4.5
(182 Votes)
Erin
Professional · Tutor for 6 years
Answer
Cancer
Explanation
## Step 1: The question is asking for the term used to describe cells that divide uncontrollably after being exposed to ionising radiation. ## Step 2: Ionising radiation has enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, thus creating ions. This is the type of radiation that people usually think of as 'radiation' when they think about radiation sickness, nuclear accidents, or radiation therapy for cancer.## Step 3: When cells are exposed to ionising radiation, they can sometimes begin to divide uncontrollably. This is due to the damage caused to the DNA within the cells by the radiation. ## Step 4: This uncontrollable division of cells is a characteristic of cancer. In fact, many forms of cancer are caused by exposure to ionising radiation. Therefore, the term used to describe this phenomenon is "Cancer".