Relationship between cellular response models and biochemical mechanisms

In most cellular response experiments, survival reflects the kinetics of a variety of damage and repair processes. Unfortunately, biochemical studies of molecular repair deal with mechanisms which cannot be readily correlated with these kinetic observations. The difference in these approaches sometimes leads to confusion over terms such as potentially-lethal and sublethal damage. These terms were introduced with operation definitions, derived from kinetic studies of cell survival, but some researchers have since attempted to associate them with specific biochemical mechanisms. Consequently, the terms are often used in totally different ways be different investigators. The use of carefully constructed models originating either out of assumptions based on mechanisms, or on kinetics, can be used to design experiments to eliminate some alternative kinetic schemes. In turn, some mechanisms may also be eliminated, resulting in a reduction in the number of mechanisms which must be investigated biochemically. One must take advantage of a wide range of specialized radiation procedures in order to accomplish this. Examples of the use of such specialized experimental designs, which have led to a more detailed understanding of the kinetics of both algal and mammalian cell responses, are discussed