Radiation cytogenetics: from chromosomes to single nucleotides and from metaphase cells to tissues.

This paper provides a broad overview of radiation cytogenetics that is divided into four sections. The first section provides a brief history of metaphase-based analyses for detecting and quantifying human exposure to ionizing radiation. The second section describes technologies for detecting cellular responses to radiation exposure other than DNA damage. The third section discusses molecular cytological approaches for analyzing some of the long-term effects of radiation exposure in tissues, including tumors. The final section provides a look towards the future and makes recommendations including suggestions for technological innovations that would enhance the field of radiation cytology.