Absorbed dose

When we talk about absorbed dose, we are talking about how much energy from something like radiation gets into our bodies. Radiation is kind of like a bunch of tiny invisible energy particles that you can't see or feel. It's like when you breathe in air, you don't see or feel the air, but you know it's there.

When you spend time around radiation, some of these little energy particles can pass through your body. Depending on how much radiation you get exposed to, some of these particles can get absorbed into your body, and that means they took some of their energy with them too. This absorbed energy can affect the cells in your body.

Scientists measure absorbed dose by looking at how much energy from the radiation was absorbed by a certain amount of matter, like your body. They measure it in units called gray (Gy) or milligray (mGy). It's kind of like measuring how much water gets absorbed by a sponge. The more water the sponge absorbs, the heavier it gets. Similarly, the more radiation your body absorbs, the more energy it takes in, and that can cause damage to your cells.

So, it's important to be careful around sources of radiation and to protect yourself when possible. But don't worry, many things in our everyday life give off low levels of radiation, and there are ways to monitor and manage our exposure to it.