Ultraviolet radiation lies between wavelengths of
about 400 nanometres (1 nanometre [nm] is
10−9 metre) on the visible-light side and about 10
nm on the X-ray side, though some authorities
extend the short-wavelength limit to 4 nm.
In physics, ultraviolet radiation is traditionally
divided into four regions: near (400–300 nm),
middle (300–200 nm), far (200–100 nm), and
extreme (below 100 nm). Based on the interaction
of wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation with
biological materials, three divisions have been
designated: UVA (400–315 nm), also called black
light; UVB (315–280 nm), responsible for the
radiation’s best-known effects on organisms;
and UVC (280–100 nm), which does not
reach Earth’s surface.
electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Ultraviolet radiation is produced by high-
temperature surfaces, such as the Sun, in a
continuous spectrum and by atomic excitation in a
gaseous discharge tube as a discrete spectrum of
wavelengths. Most of the ultraviolet radiation
in sunlight is absorbed by oxygen in
Earth’s atmosphere, which forms the ozone layer of
the lower stratosphere. Of the ultraviolet that does
reach Earth’s surface, almost 99 percent is UVA
radiation.
an image taken by the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory's Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
One of the first images taken by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's
Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope.
Courtesy of the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
Consortium
When the ozone layer becomes thin, however, more
UVB radiation reaches Earth’s surface and may
have hazardous effects on organisms. For example,
studies have shown that UVB radiation penetrates
the ocean’s surface and may be lethal to
marine plankton to a depth of 30 metres (about 100
feet) in clear water. In addition, marine scientists
have suggested that a rise in UVB levels in
the Southern Ocean between 1970 and 2003 was
strongly linked to a simultaneous decline
in fish, krill, and other marine life.
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Unlike X-rays, ultraviolet radiation has a low power
of penetration; hence, its direct effects on
the human body are limited to the surface skin. The
direct effects include reddening of the skin
(sunburn), pigmentation development
(suntan), aging, and carcinogenic changes.
Ultraviolet sunburns can be mild, causing only
redness and tenderness, or they can be so severe as
to produce blisters, swelling, seepage of fluid, and
sloughing of the outer skin. The
blood capillaries (minute vessels) in the skin dilate
with aggregations of red and white blood cells to
produce the red coloration. Tanning is a natural
body defense relying on melanin to help protect the
skin from further injury. Melanin is a chemical
pigment in the skin that absorbs ultraviolet
radiation and limits its penetration into tissues. A
suntan occurs when melanin pigments in cells in
the deeper tissue portion of the skin are activated
by ultraviolet radiation, and the cells migrate to the
surface of the skin. When these cells die, the
pigmentation disappears. Persons of light
complexion have less melanin pigment and so
experience the harmful effects of ultraviolet
radiation to a greater degree. The application of
sunscreen to the skin can help to
block absorption of ultraviolet radiation in such
persons.
Constant exposure to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation
induces most of the skin changes commonly
associated with aging, such as wrinkling,
thickening, and changes in pigmentation. There is
also a much higher frequency of skin cancer,
particularly in persons with fair skin. The three
basic skin cancers, basal- and squamous-
cell carcinoma and melanoma, have been linked to
long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation and
probably result from changes generated in
the DNA of skin cells by ultraviolet rays.
Ultraviolet radiation also has positive effects on the
human body, however. It stimulates the production
of vitamin D in the skin and can be used as a
therapeutic agent for such diseases as psoriasis.
Because of its bactericidal capabilities at
wavelengths of 260–280 nm, ultraviolet radiation is
useful as both a research tool and a sterilizing
technique. Fluorescent lamps exploit the ability of
ultraviolet radiation to interact with materials
known as phosphors that emit visible light;
compared with incandescent lamps, fluorescent
lamps are a more energy-efficient form of artificial
lighting.
