Abstract
There is a strong correlation between the DNA content and the mean lethal dose in unicellular organisms. The constant of this inverse proportionality assumes four discrete values according to the genetic complexity of the organisms. The first level of radiosensitivity is that of viruses containing RNA or single-stranded DNA, the second is that of viruses containing double-stranded DNA, the third corresponds to bacteria and haploid fungi, the last to polyploid yeast cells and diploid cells from vertebrates including man. A tentative explanation of the four levels and of the radiation inactivation mechanism, is given.
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