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How Germicidal UV Light Eradicates Germs |
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Anne Rammelsberg, a chemistry professor at Millikin University, offers this explanation: Germicidal ultraviolet (UVC) 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. SPECTRUM of light ranges from the infrared at wavelengths longer than visible light to the ultraviolet at wavelengths shorter than visible light. Next UV Topic - Sterilization Dosage for mold, viruses and bacteria |
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