What terms can stochastic effects be described by?

Stochastic effects in radiation biology refer to the effects that occur due to exposure to radiation and are characterized by randomness in occurrence and a probability-based nature. These effects are not deterministic, meaning that they do not have a specific threshold dose below which they will not occur; instead, the likelihood of their occurrence increases with the dose of radiation received.

The term "random" describes how these effects may appear in a population; individuals exposed to the same dose of radiation may experience different outcomes. For instance, while one person might develop a radiation-induced cancer, another at the same exposure level may not, highlighting the inherent variability and unpredictability in biological responses.

"Probabilistic" refers to the nature of these effects being based on probability. The risk of developing stochastic effects, such as cancer or genetic mutations, escalates with increasing dose, but the specific outcome remains uncertain for each individual.

Unpredictable is also an appropriate descriptor, reinforcing the non-deterministic aspect of stochastic effects. The outcome cannot be predicted for an individual, though risk can be assessed on a population level.

Thus, all these terms accurately describe the characteristics of stochastic effects, making the inclusion of all three terms valid and accurate in this context.