In radiation exposure, what are somatic effects?

Somatic effects refer specifically to health effects that are observable in the individual who has been directly exposed to radiation. These effects can manifest as various health issues such as skin burns, cancer, or radiation sickness. The key characteristic of somatic effects is that they do not get passed on to future generations; instead, they only affect the person who experienced the exposure. This distinguishes them from genetic effects, which can affect offspring as a result of changes or mutations in the reproductive cells.

The other options describe different types of effects related to radiation exposure, but they do not encapsulate what somatic effects are. For example, the idea of effects affecting future generations pertains to genetic mutations, while having no visible symptoms might relate to certain latent conditions that could arise from exposure but do not classify as somatic effects directly.