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Types of Radiation
Radiation is an energetic property of matter which describes how the material affects its environment. Scientists classify radiation into two types, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Non-ionizing radiation does not have the capacity to knock an electron out of the orbit of an atom, meaning it cannot create an ion from an atom. Examples of this kind of radiation are infrared radiation, such as heat, or the spectrum of visible light, such as what the Sun produces.
Radioactive Materials
Certain elements, like isotopes of uranium or thorium, are radioactive materials, because they exhibit the property of producing ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation describes another form of radiation, which has the capacity to disrupt the structure of an atom by breaking an electron away from the body of an atom, changing its overall charge. An atom in which the charge changes, due to the loss of an electron, is an ion. The implication of ionizing radiation's effect on atoms is that it also has the same effect on the organic molecules that make up the tissues of organisms. Ionizing radiation can damage the genetic information in the cells of an organism, leading to immune disorders and cancer.
Radioactive Emissions
Radioactive materials produce a combination of emissions in the form of both waves and particles. The particles a radioactive element produces as it decays are alpha and beta particles, which are generally considered harmless. Alpha particles cannot pass through a sheet of paper, let alone penetrate organic tissues in order to harm the DNA molecules within an organism's cells. The other particle, a beta particle, has more energy than an alpha particle. This radioactive emission is capable of penetrating a sheet of paper, for example. However a beta particle cannot pass through a piece of aluminum foil, making it a relatively harmless particle to organisms.
Gamma Rays
Gamma rays are a highly destructive, high energy waves that a radioactive substance emits. These waves can easily penetrate a sheet of paper, a piece or aluminum, or the skin of your body. Gamma rays cannot pass through a dense sheet of lead, which is why dentists place a heavy vest on your chest while you are having your teeth x-rayed. The harmful effects which radioactive substances are responsible for come from the interaction of gamma rays with organic molecules.