Ultraviolet

hide

Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than x-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV. It is so named because the spectrum consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies higher than those that humans identify as the color violet.

UV light is found in sunlight and is emitted by electric arcs and specialized lights such as black lights. As an ionizing radiation it can cause chemical reactions, and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce. Most people are aware of the effects of UV through the painful condition of sunburn, but the UV spectrum has many other effects, both beneficial and damaging, on human health.

For more information about Ultraviolet, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with ultraviolet radiation

results timeline


How cells tolerate DNA damage -- start signal for cell survival program identified

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Nov 16, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Cancer researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany, have gained new insights into how cells react to DNA damage. Dr. Michael Stilmann, Dr. Michael Hinz and Professor Claus Scheidereit ...


Scientists Reproduce a Building Block of Life in Laboratory

Scientists Reproduce a Building Block of Life in Laboratory

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Nov 06, 2009 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (28) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA scientists studying the origin of life have reproduced uracil, a key component of our hereditary material, in the laboratory.


The Ring Nebula

The Ring Nebula

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 02, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (7) | comments 2

The diversity of colours, shapes, and sizes of planetary nebulae make them fascinating objects. In this photo release Calar Alto presents a rather unique view combining both optical and near-infrared data ...


The Sun's Sneaky Variability

The Sun's Sneaky Variability

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Oct 28, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (11) | comments 5

Every 11 years, the sun undergoes a furious upheaval. Dark sunspots burst forth from beneath the sun's surface. Explosions as powerful as a billion atomic bombs spark intense flares of high-energy radiation. ...


The Explosive Disintegration of a Young Stellar System in Orion

The Explosive Disintegration of a Young Stellar System in Orion

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Oct 23, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (12) | comments 7

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Orion Nebula is one of the most beautiful sights of the winter night sky, its gas and dust glowing from the intense ultraviolet radiation of a cluster of massive young stars.


Lifestyle interventions in the prevention and treatment of cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Sep 24, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 2

There is clear evidence that lifestyle choices affect the incidence and treatment of cancer, according to a study published in the current issue of American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM).


EVE: Measuring the Sun's hidden variability

EVE: Measuring the Sun's hidden variability

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Sep 22, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (7) | comments 0

Every 11 years, the sun undergoes a furious upheaval. Dark sunspots burst forth from beneath the sun's surface. Explosions as powerful as a billion atomic bombs spark intense flares of high-energy radiation. ...


Study Reveals New Role of Vitamin C in Skin Protection

Medicine & Health / Research

created Sep 09, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have uncovered a new role played by Vitamin C in protecting the skin.


Aura Marks Five Years of Sky-High Atmosphere Research

Aura Marks Five Years of Sky-High Atmosphere Research

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Aug 05, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Imagine Earth without an atmosphere - without clouds, wind or air. Earth's atmosphere protects, transports, and reacts to life on Earth.


Sun exposure may trigger certain autoimmune diseases in women

Medicine & Health / Research

created Jul 30, 2009 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight may be associated with the development of certain autoimmune diseases, particularly in women, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health ...


Tanning bed

Study: Tanning beds definitely cause cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Jul 28, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (12) | comments 9

(AP) -- International cancer experts have moved tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation into the top cancer risk category, deeming both to be as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas. For years, scientists have ...


Transparent aluminium is 'new state of matter'

Transparent aluminium is 'new state of matter'

Physics / Condensed Matter

created Jul 27, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (97) | comments 49

(PhysOrg.com) -- Oxford scientists have created a transparent form of aluminium by bombarding the metal with the world’s most powerful soft X-ray laser. 'Transparent aluminium' previously only existed in science ...


Putting Plankton in Perspective, from Sea to Sky

Putting Plankton in Perspective, from Sea to Sky (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Jul 24, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- From the time he was 21 and working toward his Ph.D., Mike Behrenfeld has been observing phytoplankton -- floating ocean plants that have a global impact. Observing these tiny plants under ...


Moles hold the key to melanoma genes

Researchers identify genes that cause melanoma

Medicine & Health / Genetics

created Jul 06, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Scientists from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have found two new genes that together double a person's risk of developing melanoma.


How oxidative stress may help prolong life

How oxidative stress may help prolong life

Medicine & Health / Genetics

created May 29, 2009 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Oxidative stress has been linked to aging, cancer and other diseases in humans. Paradoxically, researchers have suggested that small exposure to oxidative conditions may actually offer protection ...