Abstract
All biological responses to light are the result of chemical and/or physical changes induced in biological systems when they absorb light energy. The absorption of light energy by biological molecules, and the subsequent dissipation of this energy (via heat, light emission or chemistry) are well understood, and obey the laws of physics and chemistry (1). Unfortunately, not all of those who use light experimentally in the laboratory or therapeutically in the clinic are trained in the physics and chemistry of light. Thus, even among scientists and physicians there exist numerous misconceptions about the properties of light (1). The following are some of the more common misconceptions that I have observed.
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References
K.C. Smith (ed.), The Science of Photobiology, Plenum Press, N.Y. (1977)
R.M. Tyrrell, Radiation Synergism and Antagonism, in “Photochemical and Photobiological Reviews, Vol. 3” (K.C. Smith, ed.), pp. 35–113, Plenum Press, N.Y. (1978).
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© 1980 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Smith, K.C. (1980). Common Misconceptions about Light. In: Pratesi, R., Sacchi, C.A. (eds) Lasers in Photomedicine and Photobiology. Springer Series in Optical Sciences, vol 22. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-38270-6_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-38270-6_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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