Which graph is used to depict the relationship between dose and effect of a toxic substance?

• A. Dose-response curve
• B. Bar chart
• C. Line graph
• D. Pie chart

Answer: (A)

How a toxic effect changes as the dose increases is shown by a dose-response curve. In this plot, the x-axis is the dose of the substance and the y-axis is the magnitude of the effect. At low doses you often see little or no effect; as dose rises, the response typically increases, may rise steeply, and can level off when the system saturates. This type of graph lets toxicologists compare potencies, identify thresholds, and estimate doses that produce specific responses (like ED50 or LD50).

A bar chart compares discrete categories and isn’t meant to show how response changes with dose. A pie chart represents parts of a whole, not a relationship between dose and effect. A line graph can illustrate a relationship, but the standard way to depict dose-dependent toxicity is with a dose-response curve, which directly maps dose to effect.