Summary

Abstract

In my opening remarks, I indicated to you how I view the interlinking of physical and chemical processes in understanding the biological damage from the first principles. Indeed, the process is quite complex, and to understand all the processes and their interactions is clearly a very difficult undertaking. Nevertheless, our program in radiological and chemical physics can and should provide the basic information needed to elucidate the mechanisms of biological action. We should couple this fundamental information with well-justified and scientifically supported assumptions to further the goal of defining the pathways by which initial interactions at the molecular level induced by environmental pollutants such as radiation or chemicals may progress towards carcinogenesis in humans. When the radiological and chemical physics program was established by the Atomic Energy Commission some 35 years ago, very little was known about the physical and chemical processes in biological systems. A great deal of progress has been made since; and in 1974, the published proceedings of a conference held at Airlie, Virginia, in 1972 documented the progress in this field up to that time. This book became an important reference for scientists working in the field of radiation biology.