Why mice and ultimately cockroaches have a superior resistance to atomic radiation?
In: Biology
What exactly do you mean by resistance? Humans are particularly susceptible to cancer as our complex replication system leaves us sensitive to it. Radiation often kills humans on two fronts. High energy radiation can degrade critical chemicals and cell structures in our body, leading to irreparable damage. Also, radiation is particularly damaging to our cells replication system, causing cells to replicate out of control (aggressive cancer).
Cancer isn’t particularly well understood as a whole, though we are starting to make tremendous breakthroughs in the world of identifying and treating specific cancers. However, not much is known as to exactly *why* specific features or chemicals make certain cell types immune or resistant to radiation and/or cancer. The naked mole rat as of a few years ago had never been able to be given cancer. Humans tried to intentionally get one to develop cancer and we never could. This was a marvel of science and people did and still do research these animals.
Unfortunately, some years back one mole rat did develop cancer, and that shows us that no animal can ever be truly immune.
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