Which of the following statements about Bergonie and Tribondeau law is NOT true?

• A. Radiosensitivity depends on the number of undifferentiated cells which the tissue contains
• B. Radiosensitivity depends on the age of the individual cells
• C. Radiosensitivity depends on the degree of mitotic activity in the tissue
• D. The length of time the cells of the tissue stay in active proliferation

Answer: (B)

Radiosensitivity, according to Bergonié and Tribondeau, is determined by a cell’s reproductive capacity: tissues with many undifferentiated cells, high mitotic activity, and a long potential for proliferation are more radiosensitive. The idea is that cells that can divide readily and have not yet specialized are more easily disrupted by radiation, leading to greater tissue damage.

A statement about the age of the individual cells isn’t part of this framework; the law focuses on how differentiated the cells are and how actively they divide, not how old the cells happen to be. That’s why the other factors—having many undifferentiated cells, possessing high mitotic activity, and maintaining a long proliferative future—fit the law and explain why those tissues tend to be more radiosensitive.