The World's Most Unavoidable Carcinogen

This week Reactions is talking about the science of the most unavoidable carcinogen--the sun. There's some vibrant chemistry that happens between your skin and the sun rays. Out in the open air on a beautiful summer day, most people don’t realize that they’re bathing in the world's most common carcinogen – the sun's rays. Ultra violet (UV) rays to be exact. Let’s take a look at how UV rays affect your body, and the sorts of built-in chemical defense systems you're working with to stop any potential damage.

Find us on all these places:
Subscribe! http://bit.ly/ACSReactions
Facebook! http://facebook.com/ACSReactions
Twitter! http://twitter.com/ACSReactions
Tumblr! http://tumblr.com/ACSReactions

Writer/Producer:
Kirk Zamieroski

Executive Producer:
Adam Dylewski

Scientific consultants:
Frankie Wood-Black, Ph.D.
Darcy Gentleman, Ph.D.

Music:
Smidi - Like That
Sam Leopard - Je Trace Ma Route

Sources:
UV Rays and carcinogenic light - https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles/ultravioletradiationrelatedexposures.pdf

Broad Spectrum Breakdown - http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/pubhealth/roc/listings/u/uv/summary/index.html

General UV/sunlight - http://www.livescience.com/50326-what-is-ultraviolet-light.html

UV Index - https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/uv-index-scale-1

How UV Affects DNA- http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/scibytes/how_ultraviolet_light_reacts_in

Melanin – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671032/

Types of Melanin - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2071942

Skin Cancer in African Americans - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7804993

UV radiation and cancer effectshttp://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100D/mono100D-6.pdf

DNA Bulge - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/UVB/Images/dna_mutation.gif

How UV Radtion Effects Life On Earth - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/UVB/

Ever wonder why dogs sniff each others' butts? Or how Adderall works? Or whether it's OK to pee in the pool? We've got you covered: Reactions a web series about the chemistry that surrounds you every day.

Reactions is produced by the American Chemical Society.

Próximo episódio

S03E43 - These Tiny Satellites Could Take on NASA’s Riskiest Missions—Speaking of Chemistry Road Trip