Which tissue is most likely to develop cancer from exposure to equal doses of ionizing radiation?

Which tissue is most likely to develop cancer from exposure to equal doses of ionizing radiation?

• A. Dermis
• B. Bone Marrow
• C. Cortical Bone
• D. Spinal Cord

Answer: (B)

Ionizing radiation causes DNA damage, and cancer risk is highest in tissues where cells divide rapidly and contain active stem cell populations. Bone marrow fits that description because hematopoietic stem cells are constantly proliferating to supply new blood cells. When equal radiation doses hit the body, these rapidly dividing cells accumulate more DNA mutations that can endure and lead to malignant transformation, such as leukemia. Other tissues, like the dermis, cortical bone, or spinal cord, have cells that divide less frequently or are largely composed of mature, non-dividing cells, so they are less prone to developing cancer from the same dose. So the tissue most likely to develop cancer from equal exposure is bone marrow.

Ionizing radiation causes DNA damage, and cancer risk is highest in tissues where cells divide rapidly and contain active stem cell populations. Bone marrow fits that description because hematopoietic stem cells are constantly proliferating to supply new blood cells. When equal radiation doses hit the body, these rapidly dividing cells accumulate more DNA mutations that can endure and lead to malignant transformation, such as leukemia. Other tissues, like the dermis, cortical bone, or spinal cord, have cells that divide less frequently or are largely composed of mature, non-dividing cells, so they are less prone to developing cancer from the same dose. So the tissue most likely to develop cancer from equal exposure is bone marrow.