ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Electron irradiation

Electron irradiation is like shining a really strong flashlight made of tiny particles called electrons. These electrons are so small that we can't see them with our eyes, but they have a lot of energy for their size.

Scientists use electron irradiation to study very small things like cells and molecules. They aim the electron flashlight at the thing they want to study, and the electrons bounce off or go through the thing and create an image.

It's like when you shine a flashlight at a wall and you can see the area where the light hits it. Except with electron irradiation, scientists can see things that are much smaller than what we can see with a regular flashlight.

Sometimes, electron irradiation can even change the thing it's shining on. This can be either helpful or harmful. For example, if we shine the electron flashlight on a tumor in a person's body, it can help shrink the tumor, which is good news! But if we shine the electron flashlight on a living cell, it can damage the cell and make it die, which is not good.

Overall, electron irradiation is a powerful tool that scientists use to study tiny things and make new discoveries.