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The natural barrier of human skin: How does melanin resist ultraviolet rays?
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a potential threat to humans and other organisms and can cause molecular damage.With the advancement of science and technology, our understanding of how organisms survive in this dangerous environment is getting deeper and deeper.Melanin plays a crucial role in the self-protection mechanism of human skin.
Melanin is not only a pigment, but also an efficient light protectant, which can effectively reduce the influence of ultraviolet rays.
Photoprotection mechanism of organisms
Photoprotection refers to a series of biochemical reactions taken by organisms when facing the damage of sunlight.Many plants and photosynthetic organisms have developed various light protection mechanisms to prevent light suppression and oxidative pressures caused by excessive light.These mechanisms can help plants survive under harsh environmental conditions, including extreme light changes.
Similarly, human skin also uses melanin to resist UV-induced damage.Melanin is not only a substance that provides skin color, but also an effective barrier to absorb and emit ultraviolet energy.When ultraviolet rays hit the skin, melanin can quickly absorb this energy and convert it into heat energy to prevent direct damage to DNA and cells.
The internal conversion process allows DNA and melanin to convert UV energy into harmless thermal energy, thereby preventing harmful free radical generation.
Photos protection measures for plants
Plants also need to fight against too much sunlight, too strong light can cause harm to some plants.Plants use various photoreceptors to detect the intensity and direction of light and develop various methods to alleviate the dangers of excessive light.For example, plants can readjust the angle of leaves to reduce light intensity.At the same time, some plants will also synthesize photoprotective enzymes to protect themselves, which will be produced in large quantities when plants encounter strong light.
The secondary metabolites of plants not only help them protect themselves, but these compounds are also used in sunscreen products by humans.
How do humans use melanin?
Melanin in human skin is responsible for absorbing more than 99.9% of UV rays and converting them into heat.This efficient protection mechanism is similar to the internal conversion process of DNA and can effectively reduce the risk of skin cells damage.In addition, melanin formation is affected by a variety of factors, including genes, environment, and exposure to sunlight.
As medical research deepens, scientists have discovered the potential of synthetic melanin-stimulating hormones such as afamelanotide in preventing certain skin diseases.These new treatments may become important tools for preventing phototoxicity in the future.
Although the sunscreen products on the market claim to simulate the effects of melanin, their actual effects are far from natural melanin.
Limitations of Synthesis of Melanin
In the beauty industry, many sunscreen products claim to contain "synthetic melanin", but in fact, they do not effectively convert UV energy like natural melanin, but may instead lead to some long-term exciting chemical reactions.Although these sunscreens can provide certain light protection, they still need to be combined with other protective measures to effectively resist ultraviolet damage.
Conclusion
As global climate change, UV intensity may become more intense, which makes us more concerned about the skin's light protection capabilities.How can melanin provide such efficient protection to our skin in evolution is a question worth pondering?
