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The ozone layer protects the Earth from which harmful rays?
A. Infrared rays
B. Ultraviolet rays
C. X-rays
D. Gamma rays
Correct Answer Is Option = Ultraviolet rays
Notes / Explanation
The ozone layer protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun, and in doing so it plays a vital role in making life on the planet possible. The ozone layer is a region high up in the atmosphere of the Earth that contains a relatively high concentration of a particular form of oxygen known as ozone. Although this layer is far above the surface of the Earth, it has an enormous effect on conditions at the surface because of the way it interacts with the rays coming from the Sun. The Sun gives out many kinds of rays, and among them are the ultraviolet rays, which are invisible but powerful and which can be harmful to living things if they reach the surface of the Earth in large amounts. The ozone layer acts as a protective shield by absorbing a large part of these harmful ultraviolet rays before they can reach the surface, thereby reducing the amount that reaches living things and protecting them from the damage that the rays would otherwise cause. The protection provided by the ozone layer is extremely important, because too much exposure to ultraviolet rays can be harmful to human beings, causing damage to the skin and the eyes and other health problems, and it can also be harmful to plants and to other forms of life, including the tiny organisms in the sea that form the base of much of the life in the oceans. For this reason, the ozone layer is sometimes described as a kind of natural sunscreen for the planet. In the past, scientists discovered that the ozone layer was being damaged and thinned by certain chemicals that had been released into the atmosphere through human activities, and that areas of severe thinning, sometimes called holes, were developing. This discovery caused great concern, because a damaged ozone layer would allow more harmful rays to reach the surface. As a result, international efforts were made to reduce and control the use of the chemicals responsible for the damage, in order to allow the ozone layer to recover. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the ozone layer protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun, that it is located high in the atmosphere and contains a special form of oxygen called ozone, that ultraviolet rays can damage the skin, eyes and other living things, and that the ozone layer was damaged by certain chemicals before international efforts were made to protect it.
