Donate SIGN UP

why does our skin gets dark when exposed to the sun?

Avatar Image
soonny | 13:35 Thu 08th May 2003 | How it Works
3 Answers
why does our skin gets dark when exposed to the sun?
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by soonny. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
One's skin reacts to damage done by UV light by producing melanin. Browning occurs when UV light oxidises melanin. http://www.acnecontrol.com/teenstuff.htm
but if we had genetic and evolutionary smarts you'd expect equatorial people to be white to reflect the heat and people closer to the poles to be black to absorb the heat, so are we not very adaptive?
UV light, which causes tanning is distructive to tissue and cause premature aging of the skin if not protected and carries the risk fo cancer. Infrared light, also from the sun, is the part that carried the heat. This doesn't burn the skin. Think about it this way. Skiers get sun burnt despite being in cold temperatures. This is due to clear skies and UV light reflected of the snow. Hope that helps xyzzy

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Do you know the answer?

why does our skin gets dark when exposed to the sun?

Answer Question >>

Related Questions

Sorry, we can't find any related questions. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to search for some keywords, or choose a topic and submit your own question.