Home › Alberta Diploma Exams › Physics › The Atom › Why are the eyes especially sensitive to radiati…
Why are the eyes especially sensitive to radiation damage, reflected in their higher RBE values in the reference table?
AThe eyes contain no water at all
BThe eyes are made entirely of bone
CThe eyes are the coldest organ in the body
DThe cells of the lens do not repair themselves
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. The cells of the lens do not repair themselves
1. Relative biological effectiveness values are higher for the eyes than for the body in general for several radiation types.
2. This is because the cells of the lens do not repair themselves once damaged.
3. The eyes are not free of water, are not made of bone, and are not described as the coldest organ.
4. So the lens cells' inability to repair themselves is correct.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Atom", section 22.5 Medical Applications of Radioactivity: Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation_
Related questions
Why do the noble gases hardly react with any other element?What are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom called?Two atoms of the same element hold different numbers of neutrons. What are these two atomsWhat does the atomic number of an element count?The same 1.00 J of ionizing energy from the previous scenario is instead absorbed only by One rad is defined as 0.01 joules of ionizing energy deposited per kilogram of tissue. If What is the therapeutic ratio in radiotherapy?In a PET scan, what happens when an emitted positron encounters an electron in the body?