MICROBIO 160 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Crosslinks, Shot Glass, Sunscreen

• School: UMASS-Amherst
• Department: Microbiology
• Course: MICROBIO 160
• Professor: Wilmore Welby

Document Summary

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancers in the world. During the 1780s, the british house of commons decided to deal with overcrowding in the british jails by banishing criminals to the (then) remote island of australia. Exposure to the blazing sunlight in australia resulted in that country having the highest skin cancer rate of any people in the world. Skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting young australians. 10 minutes in the sun is all it takes for someone to get a sunburn and skin damage. 95% of all melanomas are caused by uv radiation. People will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives. There is a common assumption that skin cancer is most common in places where it is more sunny. This is not necessarily true because in places that sun is not out often, people think the sun is not affecting them so they do not wear sunblock.