Actinic
Actinic
Actinic (pronounced: ak-tin-ik) is a term used in medicine and dermatology to describe the property of solar radiation that leads to the production of photochemical and photobiological effects. The term is derived from the Greek word "aktis," meaning ray or beam.
Etymology
The term "actinic" comes from the Greek word "aktinos," which means ray. The term was first used in the 19th century to describe the chemical effects of light.
Definition
Actinic refers to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun that causes damage to the skin, leading to conditions such as Actinic Keratosis and Actinic Cheilitis. It is also used to describe light that can cause photochemical reactions, as in photography.
Related Terms
- Actinic Keratosis: A rough, scaly patch on the skin that develops from years of exposure to the sun. It's most commonly found on the face, lips, ears, back of the hands, forearms, scalp or neck.
- Actinic Cheilitis: A lip inflammation caused by long-term sunlight exposure. Essentially, it is a burn, and a variant of actinic keratosis, which occurs on the lips.
- Actinic Prurigo: A rare photodermatosis characterized by intensely itchy papules, nodules, and plaques that occur predominantly on sun-exposed skin.
- Actinic Dermatitis: A skin disorder characterized by chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to sunlight or artificial light.
- Photodermatosis: A group of conditions in which an abnormal skin reaction occurs upon exposure to sunlight.
- Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation: Invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes from the sun. UV radiation can burn the skin and cause skin cancer.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Actinic
- Wikipedia's article - Actinic
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski