How are gamma and beta radiation produced?
Gamma radiation can be emitted by a nucleus with too much energy. The nucleus tries to let off energy through a energetic photon (the gamma ray). Gamma rays can also be produced when an electron and positron (a positive electron, the antimatter of an electron) collide, this annihilates them both and releases a gamma ray. Beta radiation can be released when the nucleus decays and a neutron is split into a proton and electron. The electron gains energy because mass is eliminated (when mass is eliminated energy is created) and is sent off away from the nucleus, so beta radiation is a fast moving electron. In this process the atom/isotope changes to a different element since it has another proton, however it does not lose mass since protons and neutrons have the same relative mass (well a neutron is slightly heavier but I doubt you need to know that).
