How Do Different Types of Radioactive Isotopes Affect Plant Life

Radiation has fascinated many people for decades. Radiation is the result of nuclear decay and this releases radioactive isotopes in many different forms of radiation. Some scientists have conducted experiments using plants as test subjects for radiation. Researchers at the University of Edinburg have tested the effects of cosmic radiation against the growth of spruce trees and the rings inside them. NASA also did a study on how UV-B rays affect plant life and everything that depends on the photosynthesis resulting from those rays. Yet, not many people have written books on this subject

My experiment is about how outside sources such as the UV-B rays other radiation influences the growth of plants. I have conducted an experiment where I use four different types of radiation (cosmic, UV, alpha, and beta). My findings concluded that the cosmic radiation was positive for the healthy growth of plants. This was also proved by the "Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Science" in 2005 when they found a correlation between copious amounts of sunlight and the rapid growth of growth rings that were formed in Sitka spruce trees. They discovered that the galactic cosmic radiation produced a cloud of condensation nuclei which increased the process of photosynthesis within the trees. One of the scientists noted that "the relation of the rings to the solar cycle was much stronger than to any climatological factors" (Sigrid Dengel University of Edinburgh). The only method the research team could us to prove this was to scrutinize the rings inside of a spruce tree. They then obtained slices of these trees by finding one that had fallen down or recently cut from the Forest of Ae in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The slice...

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...ot weigh much, they can travel far, and through thin surfaces. This means that they are not very dangerous to be around. Many scientists already know what would happen if a plant was exposed to released alpha particles.

Works Cited

Levitt, Jacob. Responses of plants to environmental stresses. 2d ed. New York: Academic Press, 1980. Print.

"Ultraviolet Radiation: How It Affects Life on Earth : Feature Articles." Ultraviolet Radiation: How It Affects Life on Earth : Feature Articles. Version 1.0. NASA Earth Observatory, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. .

Watts, Anthony. "Cosmic Rays and tree growth patterns linked | Watts Up With That?." Watts Up With That. Version 1.0. WordPress.com, 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. .