Biological implications of chemical and radiological warfare

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityThis thesis is a major review of the acute biological effects of chemical and radiological weapons. These agents of modern warfare have a broader spectrum of biological effects than the weapons of past wars and also present more profound biological sequelae. In order to cope with the threat that these weapons pose, it is necessary to be familiar with the types of agents which might be used, the symptomatology, the modes of physiological effect, and the basic mechanisms of cellular action. The acute radiation syndrome is covered in detail along with hypotheses of the cellular action of ionizing radiation and a review of methods for protection against radiation [TRUNCATED