No one would underestimate the importance of sunlight to the evolution of life on the earth and its role in human development. However, all humans - especially individuals who are lightly pigmented or whose occupation or lifestyle exposes them to excessive amounts of sunlight - are potentially susceptible to its deleterious effects. These effects can range from acute biological responses, such as sunburn and skin tanning, to conditions resulting from chronic exposure such as photoaged skin and potentially life-threatening conditions such as skin cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe earliest known microfossil records suggest that microorganisms existed on the earth approximately 3.8 billion years ago. Not only did sunlight drive this evolutionary process, but it also allowed photosynthetic organisms to elaborate oxygen and fundamentally change the earth's atmosphere and subsequent evolution.
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