Atmosphere

The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surround the Earth. In comparison to the

size of the Earth, it is a thin layer, composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen with
small amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases. The atmosphere is important for a
number of reasons – it protects the Earth from incoming solar rays, it circulates the
gases that plants and animals need to survive and it is responsible for our weather.

Why do we need to protect ourselves from the solar rays?

 can damage our skin
Exposure to UV rays can cause premature aging of the skin and signs of sun damage such
as wrinkles, leathery skin, liver spots, actinic keratosis (Actinic keratosis is an abnormal
growth of cells caused by long-term damage from the sun,” he says. “They are not cancerous,
but a small fraction of them will develop into skin cancer)
and solar elastosis Since fair-skinned and blonde people are at higher risk of solar elastosis,
they should minimize their exposure to sunlight to avoid its development.

Trivia:

Melanin-biological pigment that gives us the color of our skin, hair and eyes.
- The cells in our epidermis that make this pigment is called melanocytes, everyone
has the same number of them, but everyone’s melanocytes make different amount
of melanin and different kinds . Melanin serves a few very important purposes,
besides giving your skin its color.
When you are outside your skin is being exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
UV radiation is just that - radiation – prolonged exposure can damage the DNA of
your skin cells. With enough damage, that DNA will start to malfunction and the
life cycle of your skin cells is disrupted, potentially causing uncontrolled replication
and leading to cancerous growth. Our body has a couple of defense mechanisms
in place- one of which is your melanocytes. Inside your melanocytes are little
melanin- producing factories called melanosomes. If the mitochondria is the
powerhouse of the cell, the melanosome is the powerhouse of the melanocyte.
And there are two kinds of melanin produced by these melanosomes- eumelanin, a
darker pigment and pheomelanin a light-colored pigment.
Eumelanin blocks UV photons from damaging the skin, so those without a lot it-
people with lighter skin – are at the higher risk of sun damage. So when your
skin is exposed to more sun, your melanocytes are ‘turned on’ to produce more
of this UV blocking melanin to protect your cells. How much melanin- and which
kind-your skin makes is controlled by your genes. Others can’t produce more than
a certain amount of melanin, so find their skin exposed to more damage- resulting
to sunburn. So, more melanin equals darker skin tone and equals more protection
from suns harmful rays. Those with more melanin, particularly eumelanin are at
decreased risk for skin cancer.
-eyes The most common eye conditions and injuries caused by UV light include: Cataracts –
Research has linked UVB light directly to the development of cataracts, which occurs when the
crystalline lens of the eye becomes gradually cloudy and opaque, potentially resulting in total
blindness if not treated.

HUMAN EYE ANATOMY

The sclera, or white part of the eye, protects the eyeball. It covers the entire outside of
your eyeball, except the cornea.

The choroid is the vascular layer of the eye, lying between the retina and sclera. It
contains blood vessels that nourish the retina.

Pupil
This is a sort of hole in the middle of your iris. Or black at at the centre of the eye, is an
opening through which the light can enter the eye. Size of the decreasing or increasing
depending upon the intensity of light entering the eye. Size increasing in low light. Size
decreasing in high intensity light.

Iris
This is the colored part of your eye that controls or regulates the amount of light that enters
the eye.

The cornea
The cornea is the clear layer at the front of your eye, covers the iris and the pupil. That
transmits and focuses light into the eye to make sure your eye records the clear images.

The lens
A lens is located behind the pupil, acts like a camera lens that focuses light rays onto the
retina. It can also become thicker ( for close objects) or thinner ( for far away objects) to
make the picture as clear as possible. It is made up of jelly like substance that made of
proteins. The retina is the sensory membrane, lying at the back of your eye.it composed of
several layers of cells called photoreceptor. Two types of photoreceptor cells in the human
eye - rods and cones. Rods process black and white, and white process colors. These cells
turn images into electrical impulses that sent to the brain through the optic nerve.

Optic nerve
-the electrical impulses formed by the retina travel along the optic nerve to the brain.
Basically, the optic nerve is a path that connects the eye and the brain.

Vitreous body
Vitreous body is a clear, jelly like substance that fills the space between the lens and
the retina. It helps to preserve eye’s shape.
-immune system