Chris Liebold
Topic: Radiation and life
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Andreas Keller, TU Ilmenau, lecturer, currently for the module "Radiation Biology" in the Bachelor's degree program in Biomedical Engineering, lecturer at the Thuringian Fire Brigade and Disaster Control School Bad Köstritz and as a lecturer at the Radiation Protection Seminar in Thuringia e.V.
Time: Friday, 22.03.2024, 15:00 h
Place: TU Ilmenau, Faradaybau, Weimarer Straße 32
Admission: 5 Euro
Since the beginning of biological evolution 3.8 billion years ago, all life on Earth has existed under the influence of ionizing radiation. It comes from the sun, from the depths of space, but above all from the interior of the earth. Terrestrial exposure was initially much higher than it is today. The first living creatures could only exist if they survived these high levels of exposure. The first unicellular organisms developed complex intracellular mechanisms to withstand the effects of radiation. This was the only way to develop a regulated metabolism and successful reproduction. Stable genomes and populations of species over millions of years show that life has successfully adapted to the damaging effects of radiation and that ionizing radiation does not exclude life. Scientists suspect that the mutation rate caused by it has contributed to the overwhelming diversity of biological life.
In his lecture at the TU Ilmenau Citizens' Campus, Prof. Dr. Andreas Keller will discuss the sources and properties of ionizing radiation. He explains the biological effects of radiation, particularly at the cellular level, such as damage to genetic information and its repair.
Dr. Uwe Geishendorf
Central Institute for Education
+49 3677 69-4675buergercampus@tu-ilmenau.de