Dr. Tsubokura's Radiation Lecture Vol.43

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura

Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo

85. DNA can be restored after damage

Inside each cell in the human body, there is a blueprint that contains the information necessary for that cell to survive. As we previously explained, the original copy of this blueprint is called DNA.

Radiation exposure and other factors can cause DNA damage, but a cell can repair a certain amount of damage. However, when DNA damage is too severe to repair, the damaged cell's function is arrested, and it is discharged from the body.

The body's DNA-damage response can be compared to the repair of a damaged car: When a car breaks down, its owner will try their best to repair it, but they will scrap it when the damage is too severe to repair.

However, a problem arises when a car or a cell is not adequately repaired. In this case, even