system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How does Boron's ability to absorb neutrons work and does absorbing neutrons affect the atom?

Boron is often used in nuclear reactors because of its ability to absorb neutrons. How can Boron do this without becoming super heavy or otherwise changing itself?
gpt
The boron **does** change. It undergoes neutron capture reactions. Neutron capture looks like:

^(A)X + n -> ^(A+1)X + γ.

That means that the nucleus is transmuted to a heavier isotope of the same element, and a gamma ray is released.