During the past two decades, ion beam radiation has emerged as an effective and unique mutagen. Other types of mutagenic radiation, such as X-rays, α- and β-particles, fast neutrons or UV light have ...

Mutations can be caused by high-energy sources such as radiation or by chemicals in the environment. ... point mutations and chromosomal aberrations. In point mutations, one base pair is changed.

Not all genetic mutations are harmful! In April 1986, Chernobyl was the scene of a major nuclear reactor disaster that released the largest amount of nuclear radiation into the environment in history.

Radiation-induced mutation is unlikely to have induced genetic differences between dog populations in Chornobyl City and the nearby Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), according to a new study in ...

The mutation is called a gene fusion, and it occurs when a large burst of radiation breaks both strands of DNA. The repair mechanism tries to join them back together but connects the wrong DNA pieces.

“Although developing plant varieties that thrive in microgravity and resist cosmic radiation may be an important goal for the scientific community, an undesirable mutation in the genome could ...