The sun is located at the heart of the solar system and it is
by far the largest object in the universe. It holds 99.8% of the solar system’s
mass and is roughly 109 times the diameter of the earth. This means that around
one million Earths can fit inside the sun. The visible part of the sun has a
temperature of about 10,000-degree Fahrenheit, while the temperatures of the
core of the sun can reach up to 27 million-degree Fahrenheit. The extreme
temperature of the sun is the result of the nuclear reactions that takes place
inside the sun.
Due to the nuclear reactions that happens inside the sun it
emits rays of light that can be either good or harmful to us humans. Everyone
who goes outside is exposed to the light rays of the sun. The most harmful
light is the Ultraviolet light (UV) which is emitted by the sun. ultraviolet
light has been known as the cause of many skin conditions which are harmful to
our health. Too much exposure to the sun can lead to many changes in the skin
such as formation of melanin clumps which can in turn lead to the formation of
freckles and moles. Melanin is the pigment in our skin which gives us the color
of the skin. Other than this the UV light is also known to lower the immune
system as well. The immune system produces white blood cells to protect our
body. When our skin gets sunburned the immune system release white blood cells
to repair the damage caused by the skin burn. This can cause the immune system
to be impaired in other areas of the body.
Some of the more severe damages of the UV light includes eye
injuries. The tissues in the eyes are very delicate. Due to the delicate nature
of these tissues the harmful light from the sun can damage tissues in the eye
and can burn the outer layer of the eye called the cornea. Also, sunlight can
cause blurred vision and can cause formation of cataracts which can lead to
blindness if left untreated. The major
to our health is that sunlight can cause skin cancer. Most skin cancer is
nonmelanoma. It is very common, but also very treatable. Melanoma skin cancer
is not as common, but is more severe. Skin cancer can spread to other areas in
your body, especially if left untreated.
Even though the sunlight is harmful to human, it has some
benefits to our health as well. A small amount of UV rays can help in the
synthesis of Vitamin D. Vitamin
D is the vitamin that absorbs calcium which is needed to build and maintain
healthy bones. According to WHO, UV rays can help to treat some health
condition such as eczema, psoriasis, and rickets. Also, sunlight has been known
as the ideal treatment for jaundice in newborn babies.
Everyone is at risk of the effects of sun exposure regardless
of their age or skin color. Sun light can be harmful as well as beneficial for
our health. Sunlight can have many
harmful effects on our health such as skin changes, eye damages, skin cancer
and it can lower our immune system. On the other hand, it can also have many
beneficial effects on our health such as the synthesis of vitamin D which
absorbs calcium and it can also be a treatment to many health conditions such
as eczema, psoriasis and neonatal jaundice.
