Which term describes an organ or organism harmed by relatively low doses of radiation?

• A. Low Radiosensitivity
• B. Low Radioactivity
• C. High Radioactivity
• D. High Radiosensitivity

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how susceptible a tissue is to damage from radiation. Radiosensitivity measures how easily radiation harms a tissue for a given dose. A tissue that is highly radiosensitive will be harmed by relatively small amounts of radiation, so describing an organ or organism as highly radiosensitive fits the scenario. This is typical of rapidly dividing or immature cells, such as bone marrow or the lining of the gut, which are more vulnerable to radiation than slowly dividing, mature cells. In contrast, low radiosensitivity means more resistance and would require higher doses to cause harm, and terms like radioactivity refer to the amount of radioactive material, not the tissue’s response. So the best description for harm at low doses is high radiosensitivity.