Can radiation cause diseases like cystic fibrosis?
It is unlikely, yet possible for UV radiation to cause genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis. Here’s how it works: in order to have a recessive genetic disease like cystic fibrosis, you need 2 bad copies of the gene (one from mom, one from dad). In order to be passed on, mutations must be present in germ cells (sperm and eggs). These cells are generally protected from most environmental mutagens like UV light, but deeper penetrating radiation, or chemical carcinogens could cause mutation in the germ cells. Even if that did happen, most mutations do not result in disease – in fact, the protein that those genes code usually doesn’t even change. Environmental mutagens are more likely to cause disease in the people directly exposed to them than their children.
