Categories of Effects of Radiation on People

Categorization into Stochastic Effects and Deterministic Effects

Carcinogenesis due to radiation exposure and the effects on genetics are referred to asstochastic effects. In contrast, there are threshold values for skin lesions and other damage due to direct cell death. A threshold value indicates the dosage at which abnormalities appear in 1 % of a group. This type of tissue damage is referred to as a deterministic effect or a tissue reaction.