Radiation is a form of energy that travels through space and can penetrate through matter. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, creating ions and potentially damaging biological tissues. It can be found in X-rays, gamma rays, and particles like alpha and beta particles. Non-ionizing radiation, on the other hand, does not have enough energy to remove electrons but can still affect matter by exciting molecules, causing heating, or inducing electric currents. It includes ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light, as well as radio waves and microwaves.

Radiation has many applications in our life, such as in medicine for diagnosis and treatment of diseases, in energy production through nuclear reactions, and in communication with the use of electromagnetic waves. However, exposure to high levels of radiation can pose a significant risk to human health, causing DNA damage, radiation sickness, and cancer. That’s why it’s important to regulate and monitor sources of radiation and protect ourselves from unnecessary exposure.