Which option is NOT a possible outcome when a cell is exposed to ionizing radiation?

Which option is NOT a possible outcome when a cell is exposed to ionizing radiation?

• A. Cell death
• B. Cell mutation
• C. Cell becomes radioactive
• D. Complete cellular repair

Answer: (C)

Exposure to ionizing radiation transfers energy that damages DNA and other critical cell components. Depending on how severe the damage is and how well the cell can repair it, the outcome can be cell death, a mutation from misrepair, or complete repair with normal function resumed. A cell becoming radioactive is not something that happens just from exposure; radioactivity is a property of certain atomic nuclei that emit radiation, not a feature a cell gains by absorbing energy. So this statement isn’t a possible outcome of exposure, making it the correct choice. The other possibilities—cell death, mutation, and complete repair—are all biologically plausible responses to ionizing radiation.

Exposure to ionizing radiation transfers energy that damages DNA and other critical cell components. Depending on how severe the damage is and how well the cell can repair it, the outcome can be cell death, a mutation from misrepair, or complete repair with normal function resumed. A cell becoming radioactive is not something that happens just from exposure; radioactivity is a property of certain atomic nuclei that emit radiation, not a feature a cell gains by absorbing energy. So this statement isn’t a possible outcome of exposure, making it the correct choice. The other possibilities—cell death, mutation, and complete repair—are all biologically plausible responses to ionizing radiation.