| Abstract: | Water vapor altered the form and greatly increased the rate of decay of the electron-spin resonance pattern of long-lived free radicals obtained upon gamma irradiation of Artemia salina cysts ( brine shrimp eggs). These results, combined with data on radiation survival, indicate that the water vapor protects the cysts from radiation damage, or heals the damage. They also indicate that water protects the cysts from the effect of oxygen by neutralizing the radiation-induced free radicals before they can interact with oxygen to produce irreversible damage. |
