The objective of this report is to provide readers with an understanding of the interaction of nuclear radiation with matter in electronic components and devices and the resulting effects which could adversely affect their performance. This information will serve as a background for understanding transient radiation effects in electronics (TREE) and, if necessary, as a basis for making crude estimates of expected effects when no experimental data are available. Included are discussions of displacement, ionization and chemical effects, and a note on shielding requirements. For each type of effect, the steps leading from the primary interaction between the radiation and a target atom to the physical manifestation, i.e., changes in the macroscopic properties, are summarized. Some rules are provided for estimating the magnitudes of the effects, and these rules are illustrated by applying them to typical electronic devices.