The Environment | How Does Ozone Benefit Life On Earth?
How does ozone benefit life on Earth?
The ozone layer is important to humans and other living organisms because it absorbs most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Ozone is a type of oxygen molecule that has three atoms instead of the usual two. Ozone molecules are thinly spread within a belt that exists between 15 and 30 miles above the Earth's surface, in the atmospheric layer called the stratosphere. If all molecules of stratospheric ozone were settled onto the Earth's surface, they would form a layer that is only about -inch thick.
The depletion of the ozone layer, in recent years, has been linked to a number of human health problems. The most serious problem is a rise in cases of skin cancer. In fact, it is estimated that every 1 percent reduction in the ozone layer results in a 2 to 5 percent rise in the incidence of skin cancer. Other human consequences of the loss of protective ozone may include an...
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