Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 400 nm to 10 nm, shorter

than that of visible light but longer than X-rays. Though usually invisible, under some conditions
children and young adults can see ultraviolet down to wavelengths of about 310 nm,[1][2] and people
with aphakia (missing lens) can also see some UV wavelengths. Near-UV is visible to a number of
insects and birds.
UV radiation is present in sunlight, and is produced by electric arcs and specialized lights such
as mercury-vapor lamps,tanning lamps, and black lights. Although lacking the energy to ionize
atoms, long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation can cause chemical reactions, and causes many
substances to glow or fluoresce. Consequently, biological effects of UV are greater than simple
heating effects, and many practical applications of UV radiation derive from its interactions with
organic molecules.
Suntan and sunburn are familiar effects of over-exposure, along with higher risk of skin cancer.
Living things on dry land would be severely damaged by ultraviolet radiation from the sun if most of it
were not filtered out by the Earth's atmosphere, particularly the ozone layer.[3] More-energetic,
shorter-wavelength "extreme" UV below 121 nm ionizes air so strongly that it is absorbed before it
reaches the ground.[4] Ultraviolet is also responsible for the formation of bone-strengthening vitamin
D in most land vertebrates, including humans. The UV spectrum thus has effects both beneficial and
harmful to human health.