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From: mikey@bambam.WELLESLEY.EDU (Heather Corbett)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: effect of X rays on food
Summary: don't worry
Keywords: x rays
Message-ID: <12732@bambam.WELLESLEY.EDU>
Date: 2 Feb 90 03:49:00 GMT
References: <26756@brunix.UUCP>
Reply-To: mikey@bambam.UUCP (Heather Corbett)
Followup-To: sci.bio
Organization: Wellesley College
Lines: 8


	Your food is fine; think how many crates of oranges go through 
checkers every year! X rays are damaging to living systems because they
can with certain dosages cause point mutations in replicating DNA; that
is, when the cell divides and DNA copies itself, it pairs up with the wrong
component. However, since someone is going to eat this food, not breed it,
s/he should be quite alright. Now, if we used microwave checkers, it might be
a touch *warm*...