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Radiation Safety

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Cell Radiosensitivity

Radiosensitivity is the relative susceptibility of cells, tissues, organs, organisms, or othersubstances to the injurious action of radiation. In general, it has been found that cellradiosensitivity is directly proportional to the rate of cell division and inverselyproportional to the degree of cell differentiation. In short, this means that activelydividing cells or those not fully mature are most at risk from radiation. The mostradio-sensitive cells are those which:

have a high division rate have a high metabolic rate are of a non-specialized typeare well nourished

Examples of various tissues and their relative radiosensitivities are listed below.

High RadiosensitivityLymphoid organs, bone marrow, blood, testes, ovaries, intestines

Fairly High RadiosensitivitySkin and other organs with epithelial cell lining (cornea, oral cavity, esophagus, rectum, bladder, vagina, uterine cervix, ureters)

Moderate Radiosensitivity

Optic lens, stomach, growing cartilage, fine vasculature, growing bone

Fairly Low Radiosensitivity

Mature cartilage or bones, salivary glands, respiratory organs, kidneys,liver, pancreas, thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands

Low Radiosensitivity Muscle, brain, spinal cord

Reference: Rubin, P. and Casarett. G. W.: Clinical Radiation Pathology (Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1968).