Lethal Dose 50 (LD50)

Lethal Dose 50, or LD50, is a standard measure used in toxicology to indicate the amount of a substance that would kill half of a test population, typically laboratory animals, when administered. It helps researchers understand the toxicity of chemicals, drugs, or toxins. The lower the LD50 value, the more toxic the substance is, as it takes a smaller amount to be lethal. LD50 is expressed in milligrams of substance per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) and is crucial for assessing safety levels and potential risks to humans and the environment.