Across the United States and Australia students and their teachers will take part in a collaborative experiment to test the amount of ultraviolet radiation UV reaching the earth's surface. Our protocol is adapted from one developed by the Gene Project at Kansas State University . Background Information Ultraviolet radiation is sunlight with wavelengths of from 1000 to 3800 Angstroms. Shorter than visible light, these waves deliver an energy punch when they strike living cells. They damage DNA , the genetic material, and important protein molecules.
Most cells have repair enzymes which routinely correct mutations in the DNA caused by UV .
However, repeated damage increases the chance that a mutation will be missed by the repair mechanisms. In humans, this can cause skin cancer , wrinkles, and immune system damage. Our yeast cells lack DNA repair enzymes, and so are killed when zapped by UV light. Formed from oxygen released into the earth's atmosphere by the first photosynthesizers, ozone accumulates in a layer in the earth's stratosphere and protects life on earth from UV damage. Ozone can be destroyed by man-made chemicals such as CFC's , leading to the thinning in the ozone layer in recent years.