LD50

LD50 is the dose that is lethal to ____ percent of the population

Answer explanation

the 50 in LD50 stands for 50 % which is equivalent to half the population

Honeybee venom has an LD50 of 2.8 mg/kg. You gave 10 rats that each weigh 1-kg a dose of 2.8 mg. How many would survive?

• 3

• 5

• 7

• none

Answer explanation

Since you are administering the LD50 dose to rats that weigh 1 kg, half of the population would survive (half of 10 is 5)

Honeybee venom has an LD50 of 2.8 mg/kg. You gave 10 rats that each weigh 2-kg a dose of 2.8 mg. How many would most likely die?

• 3

• 5

• 7

• none

Answer explanation

Since you are administering the LD50 dose to rats that weigh more than 1 kg, less than half of the rats will survive. Since half of 10 is 5, the most probable answer would be 3.

Honeybee venom has an LD50 of 2.8 mg/kg. You weigh 42 kg. What would be your LD50 dose for honeybee venom?

• 117.6 mg

• 15 mg

• 2.8 mg

• 140 mg

Answer explanation

To find the dose, use the formula:

Mass x LD50 = 42kg x 2.8 mg/kg = 117.6 mg

Yellowjacket venom has an LD50 of 3.5 mg/kg. If you had 48 rats that each weighed 1 kg and they all got stung with 3.5 mg of yellowjacket venom, what is the outcome?

• 12 die

• 24 die

• 36 die

• none die

Answer explanation

Since you are administering the LD50 dose to rats that weigh 1 kg, half of them will die. Half of 48 is 24 rats.

Yellowjacket venom has an LD50 of 3.5 mg/kg. You weigh 42 kg. What is your LD50 dose for yellowjacket venom?

• 147 mg

• 12 mg

• 175 mg

• 21 mg

Answer explanation

To find the dose, use the formula:

Mass x LD50 = 42kg x 3.5 mg/kg = 147 mg

Vitamin A has an LD50 dose of 2,000 mg/kg. How many mg of vitamin A would be lethal for a 50kg human? (just type the number, no commas)

Answer explanation

To find the dose, use the formula:

Mass x LD50 = 50kg x 2000 mg/kg = 10000 mg

Using the table, rank the following substances from least toxic to most toxic.

• snake venom

• table salt

• caffeine

• sugar

Answer explanation

toxicity is based on the LD50.

the higher the LD50, the less it takes to kill

the lower the LD50, the more it takes to kill

Using the table, what dose of sugar would cause a 62 kg person to reach the LD50?

• 1,860,000 mg

• 483.87 mg

• 60,000 mg

• 600 mg

Answer explanation

From the table, sugar's LD50 is 30,000 mg/kg

To find the dose, use the formula:

Mass x LD50 =

62kg x 30,000 mg/kg = 1,860,000 mg

Which substance(s) are damaging to your kidneys?

• table salt

• bleach

• arsenic

• sugar

• lead