Radiological protection: challenges and fascination of biological research

In order to evaluate radiation effects in the low dose range (< 100 mSv) biological studies are necessary. In this respect DNA damage and its possible repair as well as adaptive response, bystander effects, genomic instability and genetic disposition of the exposed organism as well as the interplay of these complex processes are of great importance. The implications of such radiation effects on cancer induction which is a multistep process of mutations and cell cycle regulation are investigated and discussed with respect to radiological protection. (orig.)