Biological effectiveness

For a detailed discussion of the sources and biological effects of doxins see the article Dioxins Not Doomsday in the December 1999 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education pp 1662-1666... 

In experimental animals and in vitro, DHBs show a variety of biological effects including binding of metaboHtes to various proteins. Clastogenic effects have been observed in vitro and in some in vivo studies with the three compounds. No reproductive effects have been shown by conventional studies with either hydroquinone, catechol, or resorcinol (122). Hydroquinone has been shown to induce nephrotoxicity and kidney tumors at very high doses in some strains of rat (123) catechol induces glandular stomach tumors at very high dose (124). Repeated dermal appHcation of resorcinol did not induce cancer formation (125). 

Medical and Biologic Effects of Environmental Pollutants-Manganese, Division of Medical Sciences, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, 1973. 

E. C. Foulkes, ed.. Biological Effects of Heavy Metal, Vols. 1—2, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., 1990. 

Microwaves may be used to ionize gases when sufficient power is apphed, but only through the intermediate process of classical acceleration of plasma electrons. The electrons must have energy values exceeding the ioniza tion potential of molecules in the gas (see Plasma technology). Ionizing radiation exhibits more biological-effect potential whatever the power flux levels (2). 

Most, if not all, microwave biological effects and potential medical appHcations are beheved to be the result of heating, ie, thermal effects. The phenomenon of microwave hearing, ie, the hearing of clicking sounds when exposed to an intense radar-like pulse, is generally beheved to be a thermoelastic effect (161). Excellent reviews of the field of microwave bioeffects are available (162,163). 

S. M. Michaelson and J. C. Lin, Biological Effects and Health Implications ofKadiofrequeng Kadiation, Plenum Press, New York, 1987. 

I. K. O Neill and co-workers, eds., N-Nitroso Compounds Occurrence, Biological Effects and Relevance to Human Cancer, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, Prance, 1984. 

Health Effects Of Exposure to Row Revels oflonifing Radiation, Report of Committee on the Biological Effects of Radiation (BEIR Report V), National... 

Absorption, metaboHsm, and biological activities of organic compounds are influenced by molecular interactions with asymmetric biomolecules. These interactions, which involve hydrophobic, electrostatic, inductive, dipole—dipole, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, steric hindrance, and inclusion complex formation give rise to enantioselective differentiation (1,2). Within a series of similar stmctures, substantial differences in biological effects, molecular mechanism of action, distribution, or metaboHc events may be observed. Eor example, (R)-carvone [6485-40-1] (1) has the odor of spearrnint whereas (5)-carvone [2244-16-8] (2) has the odor of caraway (3,4). 

The natural prostanoids have myriad biological effects and held great promise as potential therapeutic agents in numerous diseases. The natural prostanoids, however, also have three notable drawbacks which medicinal chemists have tried to overcome by molecular modification in order to produce acceptable dmg candidates. These drawbacks are rapid metaboHsm which results in lack of activity if taken orally and a short duration of action, numerous side effects due to their multiplicity of biological activities, and poor chemical stabiUty, a characteristic especially pronounced in PGE, -D, and -I stmctures. 

U.S. radiation protection guidelines are estabHshed by the National CouncH on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) and are based on the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The National Research CouncH also sponsors a report from its advisory committee on the biological effects of ionizing radiations (20). 

Radiation Dosimetry. Radioactive materials cause damage to tissue by the deposition of energy via their radioactive emissions. Thus, when they are internally deposited, all emissions are important. When external, only those emissions that are capable of penetrating the outer layer of skin pose an exposure threat. The biological effects of radiation exposure and dose are generally credited to the formation of free radicals in tissue as a result of the ionization produced (17). 

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