There are many different types of radiation, like Microwave Radiation, Alpha Radiation, Beta Radiation, Gamma Rays, and many more. There are also many different ways that radiation affects living organisms. Due to different types of radiation, there will be multiple effects on different organisms depending on the type of radiation.
Alpha Radiation is a heavy, very short-range particle and is actually an ejected helium nucleus (2). Beta Radiation is a light that is a discharged electron. Most Alpha Radiation cannot pierce human skin or enter clothing. Alpha Radiation travels only a few inches in air and is not a severe hazard. Beta Radiation can easily seep through human skin but it usually only will penetrate the germinal layer where new skin
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When radiating waves or particles penetrate substances, very few of them bump into molecules. The affect may be no more than to knock some electrons out of the molecules. It may be more dramatic in certain cases. Even if just a few electrons are knocked loose, the molecules become very active chemically, and form new combinations. A living cell is an extremely delicate balance of merging materials. Any chemical change in a cell may change the normal life processes. It can even kill the cell. When a complex organism is exposed to radiation, the extent of damage depends on which of its cells have been affected. The cells of living organisms each perform an important part of keeping the cell healthy. Ionizing Radiation can break the connections between atoms inside the molecules of living cells. It can also change the chemical composition of the atoms themselves. Such damage to a cell may change the way it functions, or even kill it.
Alpha Radiation occurs naturally in the environment. Alpha Radiation particles are given off by Uranium and Radium. These particles are found in different amounts in most all rocks, soil, and water. Human exposure increases tremendously when soil and rock formations are disturbed by the intertwining of minerals. Uraniu wastes have high amounts of Uranium and Radium in it. Once this is brought to the surface they can become airborne. They can then be breathed in, which is a hazard to all living