The Dynamics of Life, III. Mechanisms of Nonsurvival and the Relation of Dose Size

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1970 July; 66(3): 672–676.

PMCID: PMC283103

The Dynamics of Life, III. Mechanisms of Nonsurvival and the Relation of Dose Size^*

Betsy J. Stover and Henry Eyring^†

DIVISION OF RADIOBIOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, SALT LAKE CITY

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, SALT LAKE CITY

^† Requests for reprints may be addressed to Dr. H. Eyring, Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.

^* One of us (B. J. S.) is supported by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, contract At (11-1)-119 the other (H. E.) by the National Institutes of Health.

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Abstract

From the steady-state theory of mutation rates we have the probability, q, of the occurrence of a critical change at some site in a cell that leads to genetic alternation, and the probability, p = 1 - q, that the site either is not changed or that it has been repaired. In this paper the formal theory is extended to include survival of biological systems. Single and multiple mechanisms of nonsurvival, and multiple factors acting on a single mechanism, are considered. The number of sites that must be altered to lead to nonsurvival is examined and found to be greater than one. The effect of independent action on separate sets of sites, and the relationship between dose size and survival time are given.

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Selected References

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Sacher, GA. Mathematical analysis of the division delay produced by ionizing radiations. Radiat Res. 1968 Mar;33(3):644–658. [PubMed]