Question

How does the atmosphere protect us from ultraviolet rays?

Answer 1

Hint: The atmosphere protects us from ultraviolet rays from a layer which is present in the stratosphere which begins about 10-16 km above earth’s surface.

Complete answer: The ozone layer is a layer in which the Ozone concentration is very high. Ozone is a colourless and reactive gas that is found all over the atmosphere. The ozone in the Stratosphere comprises 90% of the total gas, which begins at about 10-16 kilometers above the Earth Surface and it extends to about 50 kilometers. The Ozone Layer is present in the atmosphere which protects us from the harmful Ultraviolet Rays of the sun. Sunlight is the main source of UV radiation, though the amount of portion is small but different types of UV rays are present in the atmosphere at different amounts. The ultraviolet rays from the sun comprising 95% which comes down to the ground are called UVA rays while the remaining 5% of them are called UVB rays.
-Ozone is also present in the troposphere which is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, here the ozone is present in the air as pollutant and can be harmful to all living beings such as humans, animals and vegetation.
-The ozone lawyer acts as a protective shield which protects life on earth. Without the ozone layer life would not have existed. There are as discussed above two types of rays UVA and UVB. The UVB rays cause sunburn and exposure to them for long term may cause severe health issues to humans and damages animals, plants and microbes. Thus the Ozone layer forms an outer covering and doesn't let the rays harm life on earth.

Note: Though Ultraviolet rays harm humans in various ways but it is helpful to penetrate harmful pathogens in our home's water and destroy illness-causing microorganisms by attacking their genetic core.