• Question: What happens if you are exposed to too many X-rays?

    Asked by Georgie to Hugh on 13 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Hugh Harvey

      Hugh Harvey answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      X-rays can damage DNA inside cells. The more damage, the more the DNA can mutate which can cause cancer. After a certain amount of radiation the probablity of getting a cancerous mutation gets very high.

      But don’t worry, one or two X-rays is nowhere near enough to cause a cancer. You would need lots and lots of X-rays in a short space of time.

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