The radiation given off by fallout is dangerous because of the way it interacts with the body’s cells. There are three basic types of radiation given off by radioactive fallout – gamma, beta and alpha. The gamma rays are high energy photons that penetrate deeply into tissue and cause damage by scattering off of, and knocking loose, electrons that are a part of the body’s cells. The beta rays (electrons) only penetrate shallowly but can cause severe burns. The alpha rays (helium nuclei) are the most massive and do the most damage when they interact with the body’s cells, ionizing elements they contact. Neutrons interact with the nuclei to lock out protons that then
