Molecular Photobiology

Book excerpt: Molecular Photobiology: Inactivation and Recovery describes the deleterious photochemical reactions occurring in biological systems. This book is composed of 10 chapters that specifically tackle light interactions in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum resulting to damaged proteins and nucleic acids in living systems. This book deals first with the kinds of photochemical reactions that can occur and the possible effects of photochemistry on molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. The succeeding chapters highlight the principle of recovery mechanisms, wherein evidence shows that cells can repair their damaged genetic material, and thus recover from the otherwise inactivating effects of light. The remaining chapters are devoted to the comparison and contrast of some biological effects of ionizing radiation and those of ultraviolet radiation. This book is of value to molecular photobiologists, photochemists, biochemists, and radiation scientists and researchers.