How the Stars Got Their Colors

After seeing hundreds of dazzling galaxies and nebulae in print media, one might have a preconceived notion of what it’s like to look through a telescope. The reality, however, is somewhat different.

Celestial objects such as galaxies, star clusters and planetary systems are some of the most beautiful treasures in outer space. Unfortunately, they’re so far away that they mostly appear faint to the naked eye, even when viewed through a telescope. The problem is that, unlike a camera, our eyes cannot adjust their exposure time in order to soak up more light from these distant objects.

For astrophotographers to get the vibrant colors of a nebula or galaxy, they need to rely on a number of techniques, including long exposures, color compositing and sometimes editing in post-production.

Eagle Nebula, Messier 16. SS2596669.

The famous Eagle Nebula pictured here is actually three monochromatic images mapped to different color wavelengths combined to create one image. Some might say that this makes it fake or embellished but the truth is more complicated.

The colors that astrophotographers use to create images like this reflect the chemicals in the celestial objects themselves, so they are drawn from real scientific data. Nevertheless, it’s still unclear how accurate the colors actually are.

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Of course, visual perception is always subjective, limited by our eyes and brain, so it’s worth considering how accurate our image of reality ever is.

What do you think?

Get a closer look with the astrophotography gallery below and be sure to visit our storefront for great astrophotography products.

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www.photographingspace.com

www.astropix.com

One Hundred Years of the Flu Virus

100 years ago one of the deadliest natural disasters hit humanity, killing approximately 4 percent of the earth's population. Even people in remote Pacific Islands and the Arctic met their demise due to this virus. This shocking number of deaths was caused by the flu, although these days most healthy people take the flu lightly.

That particular strain, the H1N1 influenza virus, commonly known as the Spanish Flu, claimed many young as well as many previously healthy adults. Additionally, since it arrived on the heels of the Great War, many people were malnourished, living in overcrowded medical camps with little access to good hygiene.

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Government censorship may have played a role in the pandemic. To appear strong, many governments didn't reveal how devastating the flu was, giving no warning to the public to protect themselves. In Spain this information was not censored, giving the world the false impression that the Spanish were harder hit than the rest of the world. Thus the common moniker of the H1N1 strain in 1918 was the Spanish Flu.

These days you can walk into the corner drug store and within a few minutes walk out inoculated against the flu. Each year scientists update the formula to keep up with the ever-mutating virus strains.

In addition to the vaccine, we now know to take more steps to minimize infection. These precautions include washing our hands frequently, not touching our faces, standing at least six feet from anyone with the flu, nor touching an infected person’s phone, keyboard or other personal items. In a more general sense, we know to keep our immune systems healthy by getting enough sleep, eating right and regulating stress factors.

How can you tell if someone has the flu, not just a bad cold? Ultimately, without a medical test it is impossible to tell precisely, but here are a few guidelines.

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Common cold:

• comes on gradually

• rarely have a fever

• mild aches

• sore throat and runny nose are common

The Flu:

• sudden onset

• high fever with chills

• body aches

• fatigue

• headaches

• sore throat and runny nose are rare

Most people recover from the flu on their own and suffer no complications. But one of the main reasons to avoid contracting it is to avoid passing it on to family and friends who are elderly, very young or otherwise susceptible to disease.

Late autumn is the perfect time to get your flu shot. It only takes a few seconds and you'll be covered until the next flu season.

• webmd.com

• cdc.gov

The Quirky Beginning of Biomedical Research, with Royalty Free Images

Few of us give a second thought to popping an aspirin or any other over-the-counter painkiller for a minor ache or pain. Yet, this simple act wouldn’t be possible without the field of biomedical research.

Every parent can breathe easier knowing that there are vaccines against measles, whooping cough, polio, chickenpox, mumps, tetanus, and many other childhood diseases. Our modern world also affords us medication to help control diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other life-threatening conditions.

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Part of any thorough research method is the clinical trial or the testing of a medication, vaccine, or health recommendation. Clinical trials have a quirky history.

The first recorded instance of a clinical trial took place in 562 BC. King Nebuchadnezzar, who was not a scientist, wanted his people in top physical condition. He ordered them to consume only meat and wine, believing these to be the most nutritious foods.

Several vegetable lovers persuaded him to be allowed to eat legumes and water instead. After 10 days the legume and water group was clearly healthier and were allowed to continue their diet. Thus, the first public health recommendation was issued.

In 1747, what is considered to be the first legitimate clinical trial took place aboard a British Navy ship. Conducted by Dr. James Lind, a Scottish Physician, in an effort to cure scurvy. Over 2 million sailors died of this malady. Purple bruises were the first signs of the disease, and if left untreated it led to death after six weeks of suffering.

Dr. Lind divided 12 afflicted sailors into 6 pairs. The 6 remedies on trial were: cider, a solution of sulfuric acid and alcohol, seawater, a paste of garlic, mustard and horseradish, vinegar, and the last 2 sailors received lemons and oranges.

These two sailors were well in less than a week. However, citrus was expensive and it took another 50 years before the Navy was able to provide lemon juice to their sailors, and scurvy was eradicated from life at sea.

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Today’s research and clinical trials are very different. Most medicines require 10 years of precision research, with an average of 6-7 years of trials. On top of this time investment, it is not uncommon for medicines to cost around $2.6 billion to develop.

Biomedical research continues to make strides in the fields of aging, cancer, diabetes, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, and virology.

Despite the time and monetary costs, most will agree that the value of biomedical research is worthwhile each time a life is saved, suffering is diminished or a disease is prevented.

Molecular Models

Dive into chemistry with 3d molecular models! See how the basic building blocks of matter form to create everything in the known universe.

Need a refresher on chemistry?

An element is a single atom characterized by the number of protons in its nucleus. Atoms bind together to form molecules, which can either be a series of the same element or different elements, making it a compound.

A molecule can be a simple pairing of one element, such as the oxygen in the air (O2) or a complex chemical compound, such as ethanol (CH5OH) or baking soda (NaHCO3), containing many different elements.

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3d illustrators represent molecules in a variety of ways. There’s the classic ball and stick model, ribbon models, and the intricate hydrophobicity surface model.

CPK coloring is the most common color system for models (white for hydrogen, black for carbon, red for oxygen, etc.), but artists use a variety of different color pallets to bring uniqueness to their work (so always check the description for details about each molecule.)

Need a specific model? Ask our professional staff and we’d be happy to help you with your next chemistry project!

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Acute Flaccid Myelitis, a Growing Concern for Parents

Flu season is here, but parents have a new condition to be worried about for their kids: Acute Flaccid Myelitis, or AFM. It has been making headlines as alarming numbers of children are being paralyzed in a pattern that resembles polio scares in the past.

AFM has been in existence for a long time, but the recent rise in cases is what’s signaling danger. Polio was eradicated in the United States in 1979, however at this point in time there is no such future hope for AFM.

This dreaded condition has several possible causes including viruses, environmental toxins, and genetic disorders. Symptoms often follow an infection and high fever. The suspected viruses that may cause AFM include poliovirus or non-polio enteroviruses, West Nile Virus and adenoviruses.

RF Images & RM Images of Acute Flaccid Myelitis

Although adults may contract this condition, most cases are in those under 18 years old. Symptoms parents should look out for include the sudden onset of drooping eyelids, difficulty moving the eyes, loss of reflexes or weakness in the limbs.

One of the more dangerous aspects of this condition is when the muscles of the lungs are affected, causing respiratory distress. Medical help should be sought immediately upon finding any of these or similar symptoms.

Scans, such as MRIs, of the spinal cord and brain will assist in the diagnosis of AFM. It is important to rule out other conditions such as Guillain-Barre that may have similar symptoms.

We currently do not have a specific treatment for AFM, but neurologists and physical therapists can sometimes recommend methods to help relieve symptoms.

The best prevention is common sense advice that would help to avoid any type of infection. Wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water to avoid germs from others, and wear insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites that may transmit the West Nile Virus.

The Beautiful Creepy Crawly World of Francesco Tomasinelli

Biologist and photographer Francesco Tomasinelli is willing to go where few others are: damp caves where the floors, walls and ceilings are crawling with living creatures.

Once there, he pauses to take beautiful and unusual photographs. He has captured giant cockroaches eating a dead bat, a snail slowly attacking a moth, and walls blanketed with crawling insects. Needless to say, the subjects of his images include endless numbers of spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and all manner of creatures that are the stuff of nightmares.

View Stock Images of Tomasinelli’s Nature Photography

Tomasinelli says, “We are not used to considering small insects and specialized spiders that live in caves as noteworthy animals. But in recent years it has been discovered that these organisms can give us valuable indications to better understand the effects of climate change on ecosystems.” He was involved in a project called CAVELAB and has photographed in caves in Italy and Borneo.

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Having always been fascinated by nature, especially by weird, neglected animals, he travels the world seeking out insects, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, and even carnivorous plants.

Visit Francesco Tomasinelli’s Website

Explore the Human Microbiome

The idea of bacteria creeping through your body might be less than appetizing. We often associate the presence of bacteria in our bodies (especially in our digestive system) with infections, viruses, and food poisonings. However, scientific findings have uncovered the fact that there are also many types of good bacteria that are essential to our health. This collection of good and bad bacteria within our bodies have also been discovered to be strikingly diverse from person to person.

The definition of the human microbiome is still somewhat ambiguous and disputed, but is commonly known to be the vast ecosystem of microscopic organisms (microbes) living within us. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), we consist of 10-100 trillion microbiota, also known as microbial cells. These cells hold genes that determine cell behavior.

Stock Images and Stock Video of Microbes

Scientists have become specifically interested in the gut (our stomach and intestines) as a location that holds a notably vast collection of microbes. Believe it or not, the large intestine houses good bacteria, such as probiotics, that fight the bad bacteria and keeps us healthy. The ratio of good bacteria to bad can change and partly depends on your immune system or diet choices. If good bacteria becomes low in numbers, risk of infection and virus development increases.

One of the fascinating aspects of our microbiomes is that everyone's is distinctly unique. We, as humans, have a much different microbiome than other animals, but ours also differ from person to person. Even the collection of organisms in your mouth is different than the community of organisms in your gut.

Because each person's microbiome is so individualized, researchers are recognizing that this information could be valuable for practical usage in medicine. A patient's microbiome could be used similarly to a fingerprint, but instead of merely identifying the patient, medical professionals could gain a better understanding about what is going on within the patient's body and be able to make more educated predictions about procedures and treatments needed.

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As more and more scientific findings about this topic surface, it becomes increasingly more exciting to find out how this knowledge will help us solve many unanswered questions that have to do with anatomical behavior, virus prevention, and even evolution. Our microbiomes seem to be the mysterious key that could open many doors to the understanding of the human body.

• learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426293

• http://www.nutritionnews.abbott/nutrition-as-medicine/the-role-of-the-microbiome-in-gut-health-

The Natural History Collection

Science Source is pleased to announce it is now offering the Natural History Museum of London’s Collection online!

Completed in 1881, the Museum of Natural History in London, was one of the first museums designed for the public. Unlike its predecessors, it no longer required an application for entry and offered labels on everything on display.

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Today the Museum remains a center for culture and education in London. It’s permanent collection contains some 80 million objects, including fossils, rocks, minerals, insects and taxidermy animals.

With multiple education programs, such as the famous “How Science Works” program, which offers hands on workshops with micro fossils, the museum is an ideal location for science enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.

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Explore the collection’s many photographs of skeletons, bird eggs and fossils, illustrations of prehistoric creatures and much more!

Can’t make it to the gift shop? Head to our storefront below for great fossil products!

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Ovarian Cancer: A Ghostly Disease

Ovarian Cancer is the deadliest type of cancer that develops within the female reproductive system. High fatality rates point to the unsettling fact that most patients don’t get diagnosed with the disease until the cancerous cells have spread to other areas of the body.

As the name suggests, ovarian cancer is defined as cancerous tissue (tumors) within the ovaries. The ovaries produce eggs that can eventually form an embryo, so they are an essential part of the female reproductive system. They also create a large supply of estrogen and progesterone, which are hormones that the female body relies on for homeostasis.

This condition begins as any other cancer does; when the DNA within the body’s cells becomes mutated. Research is still being conducted to find out whether these mutations initially develop within the ovaries or fallopian tubes.

Once the DNA mutation occurs, abnormal cells develop and rapidly reproduce, building up malignant (cancerous) tissue. This tissue can be classified into a few different categories. If the tumor is located on the outer area of the ovary it is considered an epithelial tumor. If the tumor is created from the cells involved in the egg production process, it is called a germ cell tumor. Stromal tumors are created from the cells that are involved in the hormone production process.

If the tumor stays only within the ovary, the cancer is still considered early-phase. Advanced-phase sets in when the tissue metastasizes and moves to other areas such as the pelvis.

During the development of these tumors, noticeable symptoms of ovarian cancer tend to be rare, especially in the early phase. Even after the cancer has progressed into the advanced stage, symptoms are ambiguous and can easily be associated with much more mild health conditions. Most wouldn’t guess that bloating in the abdomen, weight loss, or general pelvic discomfort would be connected specifically to ovarian tumors. This is a significant reason why the disease is so deadly.

The good news is that the amount of diagnoses in the U.S. have been decreasing slowly throughout the past few decades. Although there is nothing we can do to completely prevent onset of the disease, staying healthy and avoiding hormone replacements can lower the risk. Early detection is key, so staying in tune with any bodily changes and going to the doctor when in doubt are proactive ways to ensure the best possible outcome for your body.

Stock Images of Ovarian Cancer and the Reproductive System

• cancer.org/cancer/ovarian-cancer

• mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ovarian-cancer

The Aliens are Here: Invasive Species

Exotic beauty hides a deadly beast.  The lionfish is but one of over 4,000 invasive species found in the United States doing damage to wildlife, plants, our economy and our health.

An invasive species, also called alien species, is a non-native plant or animal that may have no natural enemies and possibly possess other advantages that allow it to propagate to such a degree that it causes damage. 

This may include the killing of already endangered plants, habitat loss, damaging crops, clogging pipes in power plants or otherwise wreaking havoc.  Their success makes them impossible to eradicate and very difficult to control.

One example, the lionfish, is of great concern in the Southern United States, killing off 65% of the local fish population within two years. Some of these prey fish are critical for cleaning the coral, so the coral reefs are also dying off.

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It's believed this invasion was caused by a few pet lionfish owners releasing them into the wild from their home aquariums.  

The lionfish has no natural predator in the United States. It is carnivorous and eats voraciously. A single female lionfish can lay over two million eggs a year. 

Lionfish are difficult to eradicate because they hang out on the sea floor, up to 1,000 ft down.  They cannot be caught by nets, nor by fishing hook and line. A diver needs to spear them one at a time. Their venomous sting is 50 times more painful than a wasp's and can take months to heal. Divers need to carry special hard-shelled containers for their catches to protect themselves from the lionfish barbs. 

This is one of approximately 4,300 invasive species currently causing loss of wildlife and income in the United States.

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How do invasive species get here? People, and the goods we use, travel around the world very quickly and often carry uninvited species with them.

As people become more aware of invasive species and how to prevent them, the situation can improve.

In the case of the lionfish, people have discovered it is delicious to eat. High demand from restaurants is now putting a dent in the lionfish population. The lionfish will never be eradicated, but as long as we have hungry diners, there's a chance of getting them under control.

• bbc.com

• earthrangers.com

• washingtonpost.com

• wikipedia.com

• sailorsofthesea.org

• oceanservice.noaa.gov

• pbs.org

• nationalgeographic.com

Retro Animals

Do you remember the monkey chef on daytime TV, tea time with the family collie and the elephant conga line at the traveling circus?

Get reacquainted with Retro Animals! Revisit the show dogs of the golden era, the loyal companions of the boy scouts and the neighborhood heroes of the local fire department.

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 Stock Images of Retro Animals and Their Owners

Be sure also to check out our storefront for retro animal phone cases, tote bags, t-shirts and more.

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Were the pets of the old days really this well-behaved? Maybe not. But the nostalgia's well worth it.

Wild Weather & Climate Change

As levels of CO2 in the atmosphere rise from man-made emissions, the likelihood of extreme weather is increasing. Over recent decades, scientists have seen a trend of increased storm activity along with higher temperatures.

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Drought, flooding, deadly hurricanes, and tornadoes are now more common around the world. Along with loss of life and property, animals are also struggling to survive.

Hurricanes, also called typhoons or cyclones, form near the equator, over warm ocean water. As the water evaporates, it creates clouds that rise, allowing cooler air to swirl in beneath them.   

As the ascending air cools, it descends, creating moving air masses.  The earth's rotation moves them, making the system spin faster.  Eventually, the air speeds up and an area of calm air forms in the center, called the eye of the hurricane.
  
The system continues to move over warm water, picking up more evaporated water and growing stronger.

When a tropical storm reaches 74 mph or higher it becomes a hurricane.  Speeds beyond 157 mph or higher make it a category 5 or Catastrophic Storm.

2017 was the costliest hurricane season on record with estimated damages at $282.16 billion. It was also amongst the most active, featuring several category 5 hurricanes.  

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Wild Weather Images

 

Worldwide, heavy rains, tornadoes, floods and other forms of extreme weather continue to increase.

In the Atlantic, hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th with peaks in August, September & October. If you live or are traveling in the area, stay alert to warnings from your local weather service and be prepared. 

 

globalchange.gov
scientifiamerican.com
e360yale.edspaceplace.nasa.gov
bbcnews.com

Phytoplankton & CO2

One group of creatures produces 70% of the earth's oxygen and also consumes carbon dioxide at an astonishing rate. They are phytoplankton, mostly microscopic, single-celled organisms.

Phytoplankton come in many shapes and forms. The majority are single-celled plants, but some are bacteria, and others are protists. Common types of phytoplankton are cyanobacteria, green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and coccolithophores.

Phytoplankton play an essential role in human life in that they produce 70% of the oxygen we breathe, much more than terrestrial plants. 

They are part of the carbon cycle, as they consume atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 resides naturally in the atmosphere, but human beings, mostly through the burning of fossil fuels, have released ever greater amounts into the atmosphere.

Stock Images and Stock Video of Phytoplankton

Along with CO2, phytoplankton need sunlight and other nutrients to survive. 

 Aside from providing oxygen, phytoplankton are a significant part of the food chain which includes everything from other tiny zooplankton to shrimp, fish, and whales.

At certain times, phytoplankton grow at an explosive rate for days or weeks, creating what is called a 'bloom.' These blooms may last several weeks, even though individual phytoplankton live for only a few days. Despite being microscopic individuals, phytoplankton blooms can be hundreds of square miles and seen from outer space.

Pollution can trigger an algae bloom.  Such as when raw sewage is dumped into the local waters, a common occurrence in New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary. 

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 It sets off the process of eutrophication. Bacteria and other runoff stimulates the overgrowth of algae, these eventually die, and the bacteria eating the dead algae or plankton use up the oxygen in the water.  Thereby creating hypoxia, the suffocation of other species living in the water.

 Sometimes phytoplankton overgrowth can produce biotoxins, killing marine life and people who eat this marine life. 'Red tide' is a type of toxic algal bloom. 

By providing most of our oxygen and being a major food source, these tiny creatures are indeed a fascinating link in the chain of life

www.diatoms.org

earthobservatory.nasa.gov

oceanservice.noaa.gov

Exploding Videos

One of the more fun classes in high school was chemistry lab, especially on the days when you made things explode or catch fire...on purpose.

Relive those good old days with our videos of exploding chemistry experiments.

Stock Videos of Exploding Chemical Reactions

The Barking Dog experiment and the Rainbow Clock were very popular. But it's hard to beat the surprisingly loud explosion of a nitrogen triiodide explosion when it's touched lightly by a feather. 

And no one expects a tiny piece of metal dropped into water to steam, hiss, dance about and eventually explode, but lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), and caesium (Cs) do exactly that.

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Here's what happens in each reaction:

Let's check what happens if we would drop a pea-size piece of metal in water.

• Lithium just sizzles on top of the water, but doesn't explode.

• Sodium floats on top of the water, then ignites with a yellow-orange flame and also doesn't explode.

• Potassium floats and skitters around violently, then ignites with a violet flame, and explodes.

• Rubidium sinks, reacts very violently and then explodes.

• Caesium explodes on impact with the water giving off a huge cloud of smoke.

Kinda makes you want to go back to school and study chemistry again.

The Free Will Debate

While the problem of free will is as old as ancient Greece, modern neuroscience is breaking new ground with the debate, while drawing into question our deepest notions of consciousness, morality and society.

In 1980, Benjamin Libet conducted a study in which he asked people to flex their wrists at random, while he read their brain activity. Libet recorded the time in which they thought of acting and compared it with his data. His results demonstrated that the subjects' brains made decisions milliseconds before they did. This led many scientists to believe that people’s decisions occur without free will – a position known as determinism.

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Skeptics of Libet's study argue that it only deals with decisions on an impulse level and that other more complex decisions, such as which career to pursue or who to marry, could still be up to free will. This view reflects the classic libertarian position that at least some of our actions are freely made.

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The free will debate has many philosophical and moral implications. For one, if people don’t have free will, it follows they are not responsible for their actions - criminal or otherwise. Determinists would argue that although choice is an illusion, prisons and rehabilitation centers are still necessary to control and improve society. Their opponents would counter that responsibility is essential to our concept of justice and without it society would likely fail to function.

Whether you’re a determinist, a libertarian, or somewhere in-between (see compatibilism) the free will debate remains one of the most engaging and consequential topics of our time.

Dive into the debate with this gallery of brains and neurons.

Stock Gallery of the Brain and Nervous System

• How Free is Your Will? Scientificamerican.com

• Do We Have Free Will? Psychologytoday.com

Summertime: Rising Both Temperatures and Skin Cancer Concerns

Beach weather gives us the opportunity to get outdoors, enjoy the fresh air, and soak up some Vitamin D, but also brings concerns about excessive sun exposure. With stronger and more frequent sun comes a higher risk for skin to be damaged by UV rays, making the body more susceptible to skin cancer.

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation states that more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined. The cause is most often UV rays from the sun or tanning beds. Skin cancer is generally categorized into two groups, melanoma and nonmelanoma.

Melanoma cancer begins in melanocytes, which are cells that produce skin pigment (melanin) and reside deep within the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin). Melanoma is known to often be more serious than nonmelanoma cancer because it has the tendency to advance and spread rapidly. The number of new melanoma cases are also on the rise. That being said, the earlier the detection of melanoma, the higher the chances are of it being curable. Skin affected by melanoma can look similar to a normal mole, but there are a few qualities that differentiate these growths from benign (noncancerous) growths. If the growth shows an unusually dark color or multiple colors, has uneven and unclear borders, or is larger than other moles, it would be a good idea to see a doctor.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is more common, and there are many different types of skin cancer that fall under this category. Basal cell and squamous cell cancers are diagnosed most frequently. Unlike melanoma, basal cell cancer rarely spreads to other sites in the body and is not commonly life-threatening. Other nonmelanoma cancers can be very deadly, so the spectrum of severity is large within this classification. Nonmelanoma cancers also house a large range of physical appearances from open sores, to reddish patches, to scaly growths.

A staple warning sign for all types of skin cancer is a growth or abnormality that is becoming bigger or changing over time. Make sure to get to know your skin and look out for any changes, especially in the months that have stronger sun.

There are many misconceptions about skin cancer prevention, so it’s important to keep up-to-date on trustworthy prevention guidelines from credible sites such as skincancer.org or cancer.gov. Tanning beds and sunburns do increase your risk of skin cancer, and you are still susceptible to skin cancer even if your skin doesn’t typically burn. Always using a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher is essential, and make sure to apply 30 minutes before sun exposure. It’s also a good idea to cover up with clothing and seek shade when possible.

Although skin cancer is such a common disease, education on how to reduce the risk and ensure early detection can help us decrease the number of deaths from the disease as well as the billions of dollars that is being spent on skin cancer treatments annually.

Stock Images & Stock Video of Melanoma

• cancer.gov

• skincancer.org