Radiation of the sun including ultraviolet A (UV-A, 320-400 nanometers) and ultraviolet B (UV-B, 280-320 nanometers). Exposure to UV-A radiation, which is utilized in tanning booths, damages dermal elastic tissue and the lens of the eye, and causes cancer in hairless mice. Exposure to UV-B induces breaks and other mutations in DNA and is associated with basal and squamous cell carcinoma as well as melanoma. The ozone layer of the earth's atmosphere provides protection from ultraviolet radiation, but this protective layer is becoming depleted due to the release of chlorofluorocarbons and other causes.

See Also

Ozone Layer Depletion; Radiation Exposure