 Johann Wilhelm Ritter was born in 1776 in

Samitz, Silesia, which is now part of

Poland. He worked as a pharmacist
between 1791 and 1795 and then
attended the University of Jena to study
science and medicine. While at the
University, Ritter performed numerous
experiments.
 Johann Ritter is best known for his discovery
of ultraviolet light in 1801. A year earlier, in
1800, William Herschel discovered infrared
light. This was the first time that a form of
light beyond visible light had been
detected. After hearing about Herschel's
discovery of an invisible form of light
beyond the red portion of the spectrum,
Ritter decided to conduct experiments to
determine if invisible light existed beyond
the violet end of the spectrum as well.
 In 1801, he was experimenting with silver
chloride, a chemical which turned black
when exposed to sunlight. He had heard
that exposure to blue light caused a greater
reaction in silver chloride than exposure to
red light. Ritter decided to measure the rate
at which silver chloride reacted when
exposed to the different colors of light. To
do this, he directed sunlight through a glass
prism to create a spectrum. He then placed
silver chloride in each color of the
spectrum.
 Ritter noticed that the silver chloride
showed little change in the red part of
the spectrum, but increasingly darkened
toward the violet end of the spectrum.
This proved that exposure to blue light
did cause silver chloride to turn black
much more efficiently than exposure to
red light.
 Johann Ritter then decided to place silver
chloride in the area just beyond the violet
end of the spectrum, in a region where no
sunlight was visible. To his amazement, he
saw that the silver chloride displayed an
intense reaction well beyond the violet end
of the spectrum, where no visible light could
be seen. This showed for the first time that
an invisible form of light existed beyond the
violet end of the spectrum.
 This new type of light, which Ritter called
Chemical Rays, later became known as
ultraviolet light or ultraviolet radiation
(the word ultra means beyond). Ritter's
experiment, along with Herschel's
discovery, proved that invisible forms of
light existed beyond both ends of the
visible spectrum
 Ultraviolet light is a form of radiation
which is not visible to the human eye. It's
in an invisible part of the
"electromagnetic spectrum". Radiated
energy, or radiation, is given off by many
objects: a light bulb, a crackling fire, and
stars are some examples of objects
which emit radiation.
 Ultraviolet (UV) is electromagnetic
radiation with a wavelength from 10 nm
to 400 nm, shorter than that of visible
light but longer than X-rays.
 The Frequency of UV lies between 790
THz (7.90 x 10^14 Hz) and 30 PHz (3 x
10^16 Hz).
 UV radiation is present
in sunlight constituting about 10% of the
total light output of the Sun
 1. Ultraviolet A (UVA)
Wavelength: 315–400nm
Photon energy: 3.10–3.94(0.497–0.631) Long-
wave, black light, not absorbed by the ozone layer
 2. Ultraviolet B (UVB)
Wavelength: 280–315nm
Photon energy: 3.94–4.43 (0.631–0.710)
Medium-wave, mostly absorbed by the ozone layer
 3. Ultraviolet C (UVC)
Wavelength: 100–280nm
Photon energy4.43–12.4
(0.710–1.987)Short-wave, germicidal, completely
absorbed by the ozone layer and atmosphere
 UVA is the most commonly encountered type of UV
light.
 UVA exposure has an initial pigment-darkening effect
(tanning) followed by erythema if the exposure is
excessive.
 Atmospheric ozone absorbs very little of this part of
the UV spectrum.
 UVA is needed by humans for synthesis of vitamin D;
however, overexposure to UVA has been associated
with toughening of the skin, suppression of the
immune system, and cataract formation.
 UVA light is often called black light. Most
phototherapy and tanning booths use UVA lamps.
 UVB is typically the most destructive form of UV
radiation because it has enough energy to cause
photochemical damage to cellular DNA, yet not
enough to be completely absorbed by the
atmosphere.
 UVB is needed by humans for synthesis of vitamin D;
however, harmful effects can include erythema
(sunburn), cataracts, and development of skin
cancer.
 Individuals working outdoors are at the greatest risk of
UVB effects.
 Most solar UVB is blocked by ozone in the
atmosphere, and there is concern that reductions in
atmospheric ozone could increase the prevalence of
skin cancer.
 UVC is almost never observed in nature
because it is absorbed completely in the
atmosphere, as are Far UV and Vacuum UV.
 Germicidal lamps are designed to emit UVC
radiation because of its ability to kill bacteria.
In humans, UVC is absorbed in the outer dead
layers of the epidermis.
 Accidental overexposure to UVC can cause
corneal burns, commonly termed welders'
flash, and snow blindness, a severe sunburn to
the face. While UVC injury usually clears up in a
day or two, it can be extremely painful.
 You also see UV lamps in clubs, where they make
your clothes glow. This happens because
substances in washing powder "fluoresce" when
UV light strikes them - they absorb the UV and
then re-radiate the energy at a longer
wavelength. Your teeth do the same thing!
The lamps are sometimes called "blacklights"
because we can't see the UV coming from them.
 Ultraviolet rays can be used to kill
microbes. Hospitals use UV lamps to
sterilise surgical equipment and the air in
operating theatres.
 Uses for UV light include getting a sun
tan, detecting forged bank notes in
shops, and hardening some types of
dental filling.
 When you mark your posessions with a security
marker pen, the ink is invisible unless you shine
a UV lamp at it.
 Food and drug companies also use UV lamps
to sterilise their products.
 Suitable doses of Ultraviolet rays cause the
body to produce vitamin D, and this is used by
doctors to treat vitamin D deficiency and some
skin disorders.
 Something else to try in a club, with a glass of
tonic: UV light makes the quinine in tonic water
glow pale blue.
 Triggers vitamin D – UV from the Sun is needed
by our bodies to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D
helps strengthen bones, muscles and the
body’s immune system. It may also lower the
risk of getting some kinds of cancers such
as colon cancer.
 Helps some skin conditions – UV is used in the
treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis.
This is a condition where the skin sheds its cells
too quickly and develops itchy, scaly patches.
Exposure to UV slows the growth of the skin cells
and relieves the symptoms.
 Helps moods – Research suggests that sunlight
stimulates the pineal gland in the brain to produce
certain chemicals called ‘tryptamines’. These
chemicals improve our mood.
 Helps some animals’ vision – Some animals (including
birds, bees and reptiles) are able to see into the
near UV light to locate many ripe fruits, flowers and
seeds that stand out more strongly from the
background. The fruits, flowers and seeds often
appear quite different from how humans see them.
For example, when seen in UV light, some flowers
have different line markings, which may help direct
bees and birds to the nectar.
 Aids some insects’ navigation – Many insects use UV
emissions from celestial objects as references for
navigating in flight. This is why a light sometimes attracts
flying insects by disrupting their navigation process.
 Useful for disinfection and sterilisation – UV has positive
applications in the fields of disinfection and sterilisation. UV
can effectively ‘kill’ (deactivate or destroy)
microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, for example,
when hanging cloth nappies, underwear and tea-towels
outside on the clothesline. To destroy the microorganisms,
UV rays penetrate the cell's membrane, destroying
the DNA, and so stops its ability to reproduce and multiply.
This destructive effect explains why we can use
UV antibacterial lamps for disinfection and sterilisation.
 Causes skin cancer – UV is an environmental
human carcinogen. It’s the most prominent and
universal cancer-causing agent in our environment.
There is very strong evidence that each of the three
main types of skin cancer is caused by sun exposure.
Research shows that as many as 90% of skin cancers
are due to UV radiation.
 Causes sunburn – UV burns the skin. Sunburn is a burn
that occurs when skin cells are damaged. This
damage to the skin is caused by the absorption of
energy from UV rays. Extra blood flows to the
damaged skin in an attempt to repair it, which is why
your skin turns red when you are sunburnt.
 Damages immune system – Over-exposure to UV
radiation has a harmful suppressing effect on the
immune system. Scientists believe that sunburn can
change the distribution and function of disease-
fighting white blood cells in humans for up to 24 hours
after exposure to the sun.
 Damages eyes – Prolonged exposure to UV or high
intensities of UV (for example, in sunbeds) damages
the tissues of eyes and can cause a ‘burning’ of the
eye surface, called ‘snow blindness’ or photokeratitis.
The effects usually disappear within a couple of days,
but may lead to further complications later in life
 Ages skin – UV speeds up the aging of skin, since the
UV destroys collagen and connective tissue beneath
the top layer of the skin. This causes wrinkles, brown
‘liver’ spots and loss of skin elasticity. The difference
between skin tone, wrinkles, or pigmentation on the
underside of a person's arm and the top side of the
same arm illustrate the effects of sun exposure on
skin.
 Fades colours – Many pigments (used for colouring
food, cosmetics, fabric, plastic, paint, ink and other
materials) and dyes absorb UV and change colour.
Fabrics, furnishings and paintings need protection
from UV (fluorescent lamps as well as sunlight) to
prevent colour change or loss.
 Melanoma, a cancer of skin pigment cells called
melanocytes, will strike an estimated 87,110 people in the
U.S. in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. A fraction of those melanomas come
from pre-existing moles, but the majority of them come
from sources unknown -- until now.

 Cornell researchers have discovered that when

melanocyte stem cells accumulate a sufficient number of
genetic mutations, they can become the cells where
these cancers originate. Under normal conditions,
ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun activates
melanocytes to release melanin, a pigment that protects
the skin from the sun's rays. But if melanocyte stem cells
have surpassed a threshold of genetic mutations, a tumor
can start to grow when those skin stem cells are activated
by sun exposure.
 Moderate ultraviolet light exposure
boosts the brainpower of mice thanks to
increased production of the
neurotransmitter glutamate.
 The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major
cause of skin cancer, but it offers some
health benefits too, such as boosting
production of essential vitamin D and
improving mood. Today (May 17, 2018), a
report in Cell adds enhanced learning and
memory to UV’s unexpected benefits.
 Researchers have discovered that, in mice,
exposure to UV light activates a molecular
pathway that increases production of the
brain chemical glutamate, heightening the
animals’ ability to learn and remember.
 White nose syndrome has killed millions of
bats throughout North America since it
was discovered on the continent.
 Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes
white nose syndrome—an emerging disease that has killed
several millions of hibernating bats in North America—can
be destroyed by ultraviolet (UV) light, according to a study
published this week (January 2) in Nature
Communications.
 The fungus kills by spreading on the snouts, faces, and
wings of hibernating bats during the winter, causing
irritation that wakes them when they should be sleeping.
This ultimately causes them to die of exhaustion.
 The new study demonstrates that a few seconds’ exposure
to a UV light source destroyed most of the fungi. When the
researchers took a closer look at the genome of P.
destructans, they found that it lacked a key enzyme
required for DNA repair, which is what makes it so sensitive
to light, National Geographic reports.
THANK YOU!!