Lethal Dose and Dose Response Curve

Question 1

Lethal dose 50% (LD50)

Answer 1

dose of a chemical that is lethal to 50% of the population of a particular species

Question 2

Common Unit of LD

Answer 2

mg substance/kg body mass

Question 3

What is LD used for?

Answer 3

• LD50 is measured by the unit of body mass, so comparisons are made using mice and rats to predict effects on humans
• helps explain outcomes of biomagnification
• allows for toxins to be compared

Question 4

Dose Response Curve

Answer 4

• Describes the effect on an organism or mortality rate in a population, based on the dose of a particular toxin/drug
• Typically S-shaped