Final answer:
Cellular damage is the result of harmful overexposure to ionizing radiation, which can lead to catastrophic long-term effects such as cancer and genetic defects.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cellular damage can be the result of harmful overexposure to ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is known for its ability to ionize molecules, break chemical bonds, and create reactive hydroxyl radicals that lead to significant damage to biological molecules and malfunctioning of cellular processes. This type of radiation can cause two known long-term effects: cancer and genetic defects, attributed to the interference with cell reproduction.
For high doses of radiation, the risk of cancer has been documented in studies of groups of people exposed to radiation, such as survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, radium dial painters, and Chernobyl victims. Even at low and moderate doses, there is an associated risk of cancer based on the linear hypothesis. Long-term effects of radiation are considered cumulative with little self-repair capacity. Exposure to radiation, especially ionizing radiation, at any level may pose a risk to human health and lead to harmful biological effects.