Ozone is perhaps one of the singularly most important molecules there is. No, not because man came from ozone, but because it forms a protective layer above the earth in it’s stratosphere which allowed for the growth of life upon land. Before we had an ozone layer, the rays of the sun struck the earth unimpeded, barraging it with the deadly ultraviolet radiation which prohibited any chance of life on earth. However, there was life in the oceans, plant life in particular. This plant life may seem unimportant, especially since it is algae that is being given the spotlight. The algae in the ocean produces oxygen gas (O2), which would rise through the water and up into the “air”, there it would be struck by the ultraviolet radiation, which changed the O2 into O3, which is ozone. This ozone gas has the unique ability to block out the vast majority of sunlight’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. This afforded for the growth of life on the earth’s surface. Despite the ozone layer, which helps block UV light and its radiation, some still gets through and can affect us. First it causes a nice looking tan, or a painful sunburn, however, deeper than that, it is wreaking havoc upon the skin cells, though this damage is cumulative, and is not visible for along time, it does great harm. In fact, ultraviolet radiation is the number one cause of skin cancer, and its occurrence is still rising. This rise in cases of skin cancer could be linked to a dramatic change in the atmosphere - the loss of ozone. Over the past decades, scientists have begun to study the atmosphere and the ozone layer. They have noticed a marked reduction in the amount of ozone that is protecting the earth from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Before, the amount of ozone in the atmosphere was kept in check by methane gas released from the most mundane of things (like termites). This methane gas would break down small amounts of ozone to keep it from g...
