Light in Biology and Medicine : Springer : 9781461280439 : 1461280435 : 23 Sep 2011 : Almost all life depends on light for its survival. It is the ultimate basis for the food we eat (photosynthesis), and many organisms make use of it in basic sensory mechanisms for guiding their behaviour, be it through the complex process of vision, or by the relatively more simple photosens­ itivity of microorganis~urthermore, light has profound implications for the field of medicine, both as a cause of disease (ie UV damage of DNA), and as a therapeutic agent (ie photodynamic therapy). These and other processes are the basis for the science of photobiolog~ which could be defined as the study of the effects of (visible and ultraviolet) light (from both the sun and artificial sources) on living matter. By its very nature, therefore, it is a multidisciplinary science involving branches of biology, chemistry, physics and medicine. This book contains a selection of papers which have been chosen to highli