Radiobiology > Physical Processes > Atomic and Molecular Interactions > Introduction

Electromagnetic Energy Interactions

Before expanding on the interactions of matter with various types of radiation energy, an important point needs to be made: regardless of the type of energy carrier or the specific type of energy-matter interaction, biologic hazard ultimately results from atomic ionizations (loss of one or more electrons yielding a positively-charged ion) and excitations induced by electromagnetic radiation from many sources, including radiology.