WHAT A NORMAL SKIN CELL LOOKS LIKE:

The top layer of our skin, the epidermis, consists of layers that comprise four types of skin cells:
keratinocytes, melanocytes, Merkel cells, and Langerhans cells.

Each one of these four types of skin cells are crucial to the role of the skin in providing protection, the
transmission of sensation and regulation of temperature. Beneath the epidermis are the dermal cells,
found in the underlying connective tissue.

Of these four cell types found in the epidermis the predominant (accounting for around 90 per cent) is
the keratinocyte, whose function is to form and sustain a barrier against environmental damage –
whether from environmental factors such as UV radiation and heat or from bacteria and viruses, and to
protect against water loss.

Skin is, of course, a continuously self-renewing tissue. Every organ of our body – including the skin,
our body’s biggest organ (8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) and 22 square feet (2 square meters) – consists
of cells, and all of our body’s cells comprise DNA: the cellular self-renewal necessary for life is
achieved by each cell copying itself, constantly.

The skin cell itself has been the keystone of one of the most important and interesting discoveries
in genetics in recent years, centered on the role of the telomere in ageing. What is a telomere?
Inside the cell our genes are arranged along chromosomes, twisted, double-stranded molecules of
DNA. At the ends of the chromosomes are “caps” - stretches of DNA called telomeres. These
protect the data within the genes and, crucially, hold data about how we age. Every time a cell
copies itself, the telomere – a region of repetitive nucleotide sequence at each end of a
chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deteriorating - gets shorter but the
DNA itself remains

Over time, the telomeres become too short and therefore less efficient in function, hence the
frequent description of telomeres as the ‘ageing clock’ of the cell. Ageing is due to cell senescence,
caused by telomere shortening: telomeres shorten after each round of DNA replication, then cells
enter a senescence state.
Melanocytes are found in the basal layer of the epidermis. These cells produce a pigment called
melanin, which is responsible for different skin colour. Melanin is packaged into small parcels (or
melanosomes), which are then transferred to keratinocytes.

Protective action of the skin against the Sun

Tanning is the result of skin fighting against ultraviolet rays. The darkening of it is carried out in the area
of the epidermis, where the sun causes the production of melanin as a form of protection. The tan will
disappear with the arrival of new cells to the surface of the skin.

Your skin does have ways to prevent or repair such damage. The outermost layer of skin constantly
sheds dead skin cells and replaces them. You might have noticed this type of skin repair if you’ve ever
had a bad sunburn. Your skin may peel, but it usually looks normal in a week or 2.

https://www.vitaeinternational.com/sun-affects-different-skin-layers/#:~:text=
%E2%80%93%20Epidermis%3A%20the%20most%20superficial%20layer,rays%20reach%2C
%20penetrating%20the%20epidermis.

https://www.sarahchapman.com/what-is-a-skin-cell/
SKIN CELLS WHEN EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT
Sunlight - Sunlight is the main source of UV radiation, even though UV rays make up only a small portion
of the sun's rays. Different types of UV rays reach the ground in different amounts. About 95% of the UV
rays from the sun that reach the ground are UVA rays, with the remaining 5% being UVB rays. UVA rays
penetrate the outer layers of the skin (epidermis) reaching the deepest layers (dermis), where several
cellular structures will be affected.

UVB rays are shorter and more harmful than UVA rays, although the latter reach more depth (dermis).
Thus:

– Epidermis: the most superficial layer is affected by UVB rays, being the main cause of Sun burns and
DNA damage, increasing the risk of cancer.

– Dermis: the deep layer of the skin where the UVA rays reach, penetrating the epidermis. Due to these
rays, the structure of the dermis is influenced, affecting the collagen, which is responsible for the
maintenance of a young skin. Thus, this will cause a lack of elasticity in the skin creating visibility of
wrinkles.

Too much exposure to UVB rays can lead to sunburn.

HOW DOES UV RAYS DAMAGE THE CELL?
Ultraviolet (UV) light kills cells by damaging their DNA. The light initiates a reaction between two
molecules of thymine, one of the bases that make up DNA. The resulting thymine dimer is very stable,
but repair of this kind of DNA damage--usually by excising or removing the two bases and filling in the
gaps with new nucleotides--is fairly efficient. Even so, it breaks down when the damage is extensive.

The longer the exposure to UV light, the more thymine dimers are formed in the DNA and the greater
the risk of an incorrect repair or a "missed" dimer. If cellular processes are disrupted because of an
incorrect repair or remaining damage, the cell cannot carry out its normal functions. At this point, there
are two possibilities, depending on the extent and location of the damage. If the damage is not too
extensive, cancerous or precancerous cells are created from healthy cells. If it is widespread, the cell will
die.

Basically, UV kills cells because of the accumulation of DNA damage. A gene product, called p53, is one
of the responsible parties for slowing the cell cycle and checking for damage. If the damage is fixable,
p53 sends in the repair machinery. If the damage is too extensive, it directs the cell to apoptosis, or
programmed cell death.

WHY IS THYMINE IMPORANT AND MOST AFFECTED?

Thymine plays a significant role in your body. As it not only is necessary for the correct formation of the
DNA ladder, but also serves as the main stabilizer to ensure that this ladder will have a solid foundation,
so your body can acquire the genetic information needed for each of its cells.

When UVB light hits the DNA strand, it causes a change in the structure of the chain. Any place along the
strand that has two thymine bases in a row is vulnerable to this damage. The energy of the UVB light
alters a chemical bond in the thymine. The altered bond causes the neighboring thymine bases to stick
to each other. This pair of stuck-together thymine molecules is called a dimer. Wherever these dimers
are formed, the DNA strand is bent from its normal shape, and cannot be read properly by the cell.

RESULT?

Too much sun exposure can also raise your risk for skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the
United States. When UV light enters skin cells, it can harm the genetic material (called DNA) within.

Most skin cancers are a result of exposure to the UV rays in sunlight. Both basal cell and squamous cell
cancers (the most common types of skin cancer) tend to be found on sun-exposed parts of the body,
and their occurrence is typically related to lifetime sun exposure. The risk of melanoma, a more serious
but less common type of skin cancer, is also related to sun exposure, although perhaps not as strongly.
Skin cancer has also been linked to exposure to some man-made sources of UV rays.

Sunburn is caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light may be from sunlight or
artificial sources, such as sunlamps and tanning beds.

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/uv-radiation.html#:~:text=Most
%20skin%20cancers%20are%20a,related%20to%20lifetime%20sun%20exposure.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sunburn/symptoms-causes/syc-
20355922#:~:text=Sunburn%20is%20caused%20by%20too,gives%20skin%20its%20normal%20color.

HOW DOES THE SKIN CELL REPAIR THE DAMAGE?

Although the production of dimers on the DNA strand by UV light is common, the natural repair
processes of the cell correct most of the distortion they cause quickly enough to avoid permanent
damage. Proteins in the cell detect the damage and cut out the damaged section of the DNA strand that
contains the dimers. The missing segment is then replaced with the correct bases and the damage is
repaired. Although the natural repair mechanisms are very efficient, dimers can still accumulate, causing
cell death or cancer.

https://sciencing.com/three-ways-molecule-rna-structurally-different-molecule-dna-22993.html

SKIN CELL WITH SUNSCREEN

Sunscreen protects your skin by absorbing and reflecting ultraviolet rays from the sun. All sunscreens
have a sun protection factor (SPF) rating that indicates how long a sunscreen remains effective on the
skin.

UVA are longer or weaker rays and UVB are medium or stronger rays.

The best sunscreen to use varies by individual. We recommend broad spectrum sunscreen, which
provides UVA and UVB protection, and an SPF rating of at least 30, in a form that is gentle enough for
daily use.