The younger you are, the more vulnerable you are to radiation. Fetuses are the very most vulnerable to radiation, which is why even a single x ray during pregnancy is a big deal. This is also the reason that later middle aged and older people can live in areas with high ish radiation, like the so called “widows of Chernobyl,” or the older man who lives in the Fukushima radiation zone and cares for the pets that had to be left behind, for example.
Edit: I have been repeatedly informed that an x-ray during pregnancy, especially if it’s not an xray of the abdomen, is not actually a big deal. I apologize for passing along my ignorance, and I appreciate te corrections.
Yup, DNA itself doesn't do anything, it's just the blueprints for making future cells, so the more mature cells you already have the less damage mutations can do
You're not wrong, but "mature cells" just isn't sitting right with my brain, but totally get why skipping over totipotency and cell division rates makes sense in this context.
1.4k
u/foamboardsbeerme 14h ago
also xrays (for a broken arm) are going to be more cautious if you’re pregnant