Susceptibility

Susceptibility is the degree to which an entity is likely to be affected by a given condition, agent, or influence. It can be applied across disciplines, reflecting how readily an organism, material, or individual responds to a stimulus or threat.

In medicine and biology, susceptibility commonly refers to predisposition to disease or infection. It may be determined by genetic factors, age, immune status, and environmental exposures. Genetic susceptibility describes inherited variants that increase risk for certain diseases, while environmental and lifestyle factors can modify overall risk. Vaccination, prior exposure, and general health also influence an individual’s susceptibility.

In microbiology and pharmacology, susceptibility describes how sensitive an organism is to a chemical agent, such as an antibiotic. Antibiotic susceptibility testing determines whether a bacterial isolate is inhibited by specific drugs, guiding treatment. Susceptibility testing applies to cancer cells and other pathogens in research as well.

In physics and materials science, magnetic susceptibility quantifies the degree to which a material becomes magnetized in an external magnetic field, while dielectric susceptibility (or electric susceptibility) measures the polarization response to an electric field. These properties influence the magnetic and dielectric behavior of devices and materials.

In social and psychological contexts, susceptibility can describe how prone a person is to influence, persuasion, or misinformation, often moderated by cognitive biases, knowledge, and critical thinking skills.

Overall, susceptibility is a general term denoting potential responsiveness to a given stimulus, condition, or agent, with domain-specific definitions and measurement methods.