Researchers at Lund University in Sweden and
other universities have been studying how the skin's pigment works to shield
the human body from the sun's harmful UV rays. The skin pigment converts the UV
radiation into heat through a fast chemical reaction that rapidly sends protons
from the molecules of the pigment.
Pigment
in both the skin and hair make up two different types of melanin: eumelanin and
pheomelanin. Eumelanin helps us develop a suntan and gives color to brown and
black hair, while those with red hair and pale skin have high levels of
pheomelanin. Villy Sundstrom, a professor of Chemistry at Lund University, and
her research team, found that eumelanin converts dangerous UV radiation into
heat with nearly 100 percent efficiency.What happens specifically in this chemical reaction is that eumelanin (melanin) releases a proton from the skin pigment at the same time the UV light arrives at the pigment molecule. The shooting of the proton of this reaction helps convert dangerous UV energy into harmless heat. Eumelanin is suggested to be the pigment that protects against UV radiation while pheomelanin is believed to cause skin cancer in some way, which explains the reason why people with red hair are more likely to develop skin cancer. According to Villy Sundstrom, by understanding how the body defends itself naturally against UV light, can lead to better development of sunscreen products.
Source:
Lund University. (2014, September 26). Skin pigment renders sun's UV radiation harmless using projectiles. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 30, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140926085818.htm
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