In this video from the Crick Institute, you can hear more about how the sun impacts the genetic material in our bodies - our DNA.
Sunlight is made up of many different kinds of light, some of which is visible to our eyes, and other kinds that are not. Living things use these various types of light in different ways, some of which is beneficial. Plants are a good example; they require light to survive.
But some light from the sun, like ultraviolet (UV) rays, are not good for us, or specifically, the DNA in our cells. UV rays can cause mutations, or errors, in that genetic material. When mutations are introduced into our genetic code, it can cause serious health problems, like skin cancer. As such, people are encouraged to protect themselves from this harmful light, and researchers want to know more about this whole process, including the repair process our cells have to fix the problems that may be caused by UV light.
