Ray ban.Before you hit the beach, remember. Overexposure overexposure too long an exposure time or too high a milliamperage causing too black a picture, loss of detail and some anomalies of translucency. to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays (invisible energy waves) can cause skin cancer. But scientists at Boston University School of Medicine Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) is one of the graduate schools of Boston University. It is an American medical school located in the South End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. are developing a new lotion to help your body defend itself from the skin-frying sunshine. When UV rays hit DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. (chemical that carries hereditary information) in skin cells, the rays can cause mutations. These changes to the DNA can produce cancerous tumors. To help prevent mutations in skin cells, the researchers developed a lotion containing tiny DNA fragments. The fragments send your cell's protective enzymes (proteins that cause a chemical reaction) into overdrive. That way, when UV rays hit the skin, the cell's enzymes are already present--set to guard against damage. The proactive lotion is more efficient than traditional sunblock--which simply shields your skin from UV rays, says Dr. David Goukassian, the researcher developing the new lotion. In lab tests, mice sporting the lotion developed fewer UV-related tumors than other mice. If tests on humans go well, DNA might end up in your lotion. Until then, seek shade and slather on sunblock sunblock Public health An opaque substance, usually formulated from zinc or titanium oxides, designed to completely prevent solar radiation from reaching the skin. See SPF rating. Cf Sunscreen. . The U.S. Center's for Disease Control and Prevention has a Web site about sun and skin cancer prevention. Site includes statistics and information about ultraviolet rays and sunscreen SPF (sun protection factor sun protection factor n. Abbr. SPF The ratio of the minimal ultraviolet dose required to produce erythema with and without a sunscreen; a measure of the degree to which a sunscreen protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation, the higher ): www.cdc.gov/ChooseYourCover/ Heading out to the beach this summer? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and and National Weather Service predict the next day's levels of ultraviolet radiation (UV index). To help you plan how best to protect your skin, click on: www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html Learn how and why your skin tans and burns in the sun: http://travel.howstuffworks.com/sunscreen.htm |
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