What is the definition of a lethal dose?

What is the definition of a lethal dose?

• A. A non-lethal dose
• B. A maximum tolerated dose
• C. A dose that causes a mild reaction
• D. The amount of a drug that will cause death

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is toxicity and how much of a substance is enough to cause death. A lethal dose is the amount of a drug or toxin that will cause death under defined conditions. This is the measure used to express how dangerous something is. It’s different from a non-lethal dose or a maximum tolerated dose, which describe doses that do not cause death or cause only acceptable toxicity, not death. A related concept, LD50, is the dose that would kill 50% of a test population and is used to compare how toxic different substances are.

The main idea here is toxicity and how much of a substance is enough to cause death. A lethal dose is the amount of a drug or toxin that will cause death under defined conditions. This is the measure used to express how dangerous something is. It’s different from a non-lethal dose or a maximum tolerated dose, which describe doses that do not cause death or cause only acceptable toxicity, not death. A related concept, LD50, is the dose that would kill 50% of a test population and is used to compare how toxic different substances are.