the local fall-out area and that the added hazard due to world-wide
distribution of fission products may be of secondary importance.
The fundamental facts of radiation genetics as presented by
such leading geneticists as H. J. Muller, A. H. Sturtevant, C. Stern,
and others, have been generally accepted. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
These are:
1.
Radiation to the gonads will produce mutations in germinal
2.
The mutation rate is proportional to the total dose of
cells.
radiation received and is independent of dose rate.
3.
There is no threshold for mutation effect.
4.
Mutations are primarily deleterious, and may be classified
as follows:
.
,
a.
Lethals - dominant.
b.
Lethals - recessive:
c.
Deleterious - non-lethal but causing some percentage
complete and incomplete.
decrease in efficiency.
5.
Mutations produced by artificial radiation are the same
as those already produced and being produced spontaneously.
6.
Genetic death is the removal of a fertilized egg cell, or
the individual developing therefrom, before it has a chance to reproduce.
Quantitative genetic concepts are derived from experimental
Stern, C., Principles of Human Genetics, W.H. Freeman Co., 1950.
Muller, H.J., Radiation Damage to Genetic Material, American
Scientist, 38, 1950.
Sturtevant, A.H., The Genetic Effects of High Energy Irradiation
ES
of Human Populations, Engineering and Science Monthly of California
Institute of Technology, January, 1955.
Plough, H.H., Radiation Tolerance and Genetic Effects.
10, 1952.
Nucleonics
Muller, H.J., The Manner of Dependence of "The Permissible Dose”
of Radiation on the Amount of Genetic Damage, Acta Radiologica
41:5, 1954.