Publication Date:
2019-06-27
Description:
To investigate the effects of galactic heavy particles on nervous tissue, Drosophila melanogaster flies were exposed to A-40 from the Super-HILAC accelerator at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The energy of the particles reaching the Drosophila neurons was 4.8 MeV/nucleon, and the fluence ranged from 60,000 to 80 million particles/sq cm. Thirty-five days after irradiation at the higher fluences, extensive tissue fragmentation and cysts were found. At fluences as low as one hit/two cell bodies (about 5 million) and one hit/90 cell bodies (about 90,000 particles/sq cm or 21 rad average dose) swelling of neuronal cytoplasm and focally fragmented membranes were noted; at fluences ranging from one hit/six to one hit/135 cell bodies, there was frequently a marked increase in glial lamellae around nerve-cell processes, which often had degenerative features. These findings support the view that single hits by heavy particles may injure nervous tissue.
Keywords:
LIFE SCIENCES (GENERAL)
Type:
International Journal of Radiation Biology; 29; 2, 19; 1976
Format:
text
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