Since ionizing radiation is one of the environmental factors encountered by man, there are immediate practical reasons for studying the mechanism of radiation effects on mammalian development. Application of the results to the estimation of human hazards and to the formulation of preventive measures has been discussed elsewhere (Russell and Russell, 1952; W. L. Russell, 1952, 1954). Here we shall concern ourselves with the nature of the effects, including the pathways between primary and final damage. One feature of ionizing radiation that distinguishes it from other deleterious agents commonly used in experimental embryology is the instantaneous distribution of its primary action over the protoplasm of all cells in the organism. By virtue of this property, radiation can uncover patterns of sensitivity, from the intracellular to the organ system level, that are inherent in the organism at the moment of treatment.
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Russell et al. (1954) studied this question.