The world is almost at war. Every country is involved directly or indirectly in a war with a neighbouring country. Nuclear powers threaten their neighbors with a nuke.
You’ve probably seen news reports or documentaries showing the devastation a nuclear bomb can cause—cities wiped out, millions lost. But have you ever wondered:
What happens to our DNA if a Nuke is dropped?
That’s what we’re exploring in this edition of our newsletter. We’ll see the effect of a nuclear explosion on our DNA, genome or chromosomes.
Firstly, within the radius of 3 to 5 Km, based on the size of the nuclear bomb, everything will become vapour or ash and evaporate in the atmosphere, within a fraction of a second.
Buildings, infrastructure, and yes, human bodies… gone.
But it doesn’t stop there.
After a minute or so, people living far away will start experiencing the explosion’s impact. The radiation will start spreading and people will experience the effect.
Radiation will start penetrating the skin, organs and systems, and deeper down in our DNA.
The radioactive elements and rays (gamma rays and ionizing radiation) coming out of the nuclear bomb directly affect our DNA. It will
- Break the DNA apart
- Rearrange or delete nucleotides
- Switch on or off genes abnormally
- Break off chromosomes
- Produce chromosomal aneuploidies
- Destabilize our genome
This chain reaction leads to instant cell death, cancer, infertility, and irreversible genetic damage. People start dying within a few minutes.
It won’t even stop here!
Those who survived the initial wave won’t escape the long-term effects. The radiation will spread everywhere– soil, air and water. And their DNA will also be hit! The mutated and unstable genome will be inherited—
To the next generation, next to next generation and their next generations! This leads to birth defects, rare genetic disorders, and cancer for the next 100 or more years.
Isn’t that the end of the story?
Not only humans, starting from a single cell, bacteria to multicellular animals, everyone’s DNA will be affected badly.
Meaning, if a nuke is dropped, not only the human race but the entire life on Earth would be in danger. However, powerful nations will never allow this to happen, at any cost!
In seconds, we would erase thousands of years of evolutionary fine-tuning—the optimized human genome shaped over millennia.
So, World War III could be possible, but not a nuclear war!
By the way, war isn’t the solution to any problem.
Stay safe.
Check out our YouTube Channel for more such video stories.
Check out these related stories at Genetic Education Blog:
- How does Space Travel Affect Human DNA?
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Young India: Is Genetics to Blame?
Is there a way to survive a nuclear explosion? Answer here: https://forms.gle/myw75qEu8tByPTN26
