Ionizing radiation is known to cause DNA damage, including single-strand and double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), and the un-repair of DNA damage, particularly DSBs, may cause chromosome aberrations.

• 电离辐射极易造成DNA的损伤，包括单链和双链的断裂，而受损的DNA若不能及时、有效地修复，尤其是双链断裂的修复缺陷，便会引起染色体断裂和细胞死亡，甚至形成肿瘤。