Relative biological effectiveness

Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) is a term used in radiobiology and radiation therapy to quantify the capability of a particular type of ionizing radiation to cause certain types of biological damage, particularly DNA damage, compared to gamma or X-rays.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈrɛlətɪv baɪˈɒlədʒɪkəl ɪˈfɛktɪvnəs/

Etymology

The term "Relative Biological Effectiveness" is derived from the field of radiobiology. "Relative" refers to the comparison aspect of the concept, "Biological" pertains to the biological damage caused, and "Effectiveness" refers to the capability or potency of the radiation type.

Definition

Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) is defined as the ratio of the dose of a reference radiation (usually gamma or X-rays) that causes a certain level of biological effect to the dose of the test radiation that causes the same level of effect. It is a dimensionless quantity.

Factors Influencing RBE

The RBE of a radiation type can be influenced by several factors, including the Linear Energy Transfer (LET), the dose rate, the type of biological damage, and the specific biological system or organism.

Related Terms

• Linear Energy Transfer (LET)
• Radiobiology
• Radiation Therapy
• DNA Damage
• Ionizing Radiation

See Also

• Quality Factor (Radiation)
• Radiation Dosimetry

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Relative biological effectiveness
• Wikipedia's article - Relative biological effectiveness

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