Acronym of roentgen equivalent man; SI unit of radiation dose equivalent.
Some types of radiation do more damage than others for the same absorbed dose; the equivalent dose in rems is equal to the dose in rads multiplied by the relative biological effectiveness. One rem is approximately equivalent to the biological effect produced by one roentgen of X-ray or gamma-ray radiation. Humans can absorb up to 25 rems without immediate ill effects; 100 rems may produce radiation sickness; and more than 800 rems causes death.

Unit dose of ionising radiation, equal to that having the same biological effect as one röntgen of X-rays.

US four-piece rock group formed 1980 in Georgia. Their songs are characterized by melodic bass lines, driving guitar, and evocative lyrics. Albums include Reckoning 1984, Green 1988, the mass-market breakthrough Out of Time 1991, from which came the world-wide hit ‘Losing My Religion’. Recent album successes include Automatic For The People 1992 and Monster 1994.

1. (Roentgen Equivalent Man) The dosage of ionizing radiation that will cause the same amount of injury to human tissue as 1 roentgen of X-rays; Also called: rem.
2. Rapid Eye Movement; the darting motion of the eyes which commonly occurs before one enters deep sleep.