The frequencies of ${gamma}$-ray-induced micronuclei (MN) in cytokinesis-blocked (CB) lymphocytes at several doses were measured in three donors of human and C57BL/6 mice. Measurements performed after irradiation showed a dose-related increases in MN frequency in each of the donors studied. The relative sensitivity of mouse in spleen lymphocytes (SLs) compared with human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) was estimated by best fitting linear-quadratic model based on the radiation-induced MN data over the range from 0 cGy to 400 cGy. In the case of MN frequency with 0.2 per CB cell, the relative sensitivity of mouse SLs was 1.67. Compared with the radiation-induced MN formation in the PBLs of human, the SLs of mouse were more radiosensitive. Using this MN assay with human PBLs and mouse SLs, studies were performed to determine whether the water fraction of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.Meyer) against radiation-induced MN in human PBLs after in vitro irradiation (3Gy) and in SLs of C57BL/6 mice after in vivo irradiation (3Gy). The frequency of MN in human PBLs was reduced by water fraction of ginseng (0.5mg/ml of medium) both pre-and post treatment (p<0.0l) in vitro. In addition, the frequency of MN in mouse SLs was also reduced by pretreatment of ginseng (2mg/ml of drinking water for 7days) in vivo. The data suggested that the ginseng may reduce cell damage caused by ${gamma}$-rays in vitro and in vivo. Further studies are needed to characterize better the protective nature of ginseng extract, its fractions and compounds.