How does radiation poisoning kill you, and why does it sometimes take weeks?
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There are many types of electromagnetic “radiation” (light) ranging from heat to gamma rays. They can/do each cause different sorts of damage, but they all destroy cellular function and replication/repair mechanisms by altering your DNA’s structure.
The energy in a given form of radiation, causes the molecular bonds in your DNA strains to be altered and reorganize (think of it like tying knots in a smooth string). As a result, when they try to replicate and/or perform other genetic functions, such as gene transcription, they are unable to do so, causing the tissue to slowly die over time. Different tissues have different sensitivities to different wavelengths of radiation, but they all “mutate” your DNA at a fundamental level.
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