why are x-rays harmful and cause caner?

Answer 1

X-rays are radiation, and radiation can cause mutations which lead to cancer, but only after very long term exposure. So if you need to take an x-ray don't worry, it won't give you cancer.
It'd only do that to someone who is around x-rays for a long time, which is why doctors/dentists etc would leave the room or stand behind a lead shield when the give you one.

To become cancerous a cell needs to get several mutations, which can take a very long time (which is why cancer is more common in old age) one mutation which could possibly accur from an x-ray isn't anything to worry about.

Answer 2

X-rays are ionizing radiation; that is, able to rip electrons off atoms. In the process, they create free radicals (groups of atoms with a net charge) that can damage the cells machinery, particularly;y DNA. Most of the time, that simply kills a few of the trillions of the cells in a person, but occasionally, the DNA is damaged in a way that causes the cell to keep reproducing, to escape built-in cell death mechanism (apoptosis), and to recruit support from other cells (e.g. blood supply). That is how cancer may start.
Any amount of x-radiation has some danger, but the amount used in medical radiography is small compared with the life-saving benefits. In the 1950's, shoe stores had x-ray machines where one could examine feet inside the shoes; these machines emitted large amounts of radiation with little control. Modern x-ray equipment emits far less, in narrow beams, and with a restricted energy range.

Answer 3

There's a lot of confusion and superstition about "radiation." Light is "radiation," as are the signals received by your AM/FM radio and television/satellite. So "radiation" does not explain why certain types of radiation are dangerous. UV, x-rays, etc. are particularly energetic, and cause the atoms and molecules that they strike to change, by breaking atomic and molecular bonds. X-rays are of the class called ionizing radiation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation).

In low doses, x-rays are beneficial and crucial for the imaging of broken bones, etc. Computed axial tomography (CAT) scans are based on x-rays as well, diagnosing more complex diseases amd conditions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_scan).

The key, therefore, is to minimize your exposure to x-rays, to allow your body to heal and repair any damage that might have occurred. In high doses, the damage may not be repairable, and conditions such as cancer can arise from higher exposures.

Answer 4

X-rays are electromagnetic radiation, like light waves and radiowaves. Because X-rays have higher energy than light waves, they can pass through the body. when the radiation hits solid mass in the body it gets traped and
causes damage to cells in the body, which in turn can increase the risk of developing cancer!
same with you cell phone tv and the sun and almost every eletronic device!

Answer 5

Because x-rays shoot high powered beams of energy into your body. And a free electron (aka a free radical) can ram into your DNA, join up, change the structure, and cause that cell to mutate. sometimes into cancer.

Answer 6

They are only harmful if you do not have protection or are exposed for a long time.

Answer 7

They alter the genetic make up of cells.

Answer 8

what's caner. do people use that for canning vegetables ?