Just as people are protected from the sun by sunscreens and clothing, animals’ fur protects their skin from damage. But hippo, elephant, rhino and pig Animals like these have no fur.

What about these animals? How to protect against the sun?

Creatures that don’t have enough fur or feathers to cover their bodies are surprisingly able to create their own sunscreen.

Sweat is common in many mammals, such as horses and monkeys, and sweating is the body temperature of animals that is regulated by various physiological mechanisms. kept within certain limits It helps.

Sweat, which bothers us quite a bit due to its smell and feel, is very valuable for hippos, for example. These animals protect their hairless skin from the harmful effects of the sun. They secrete blood-like sweat.

In fact, it would be more accurate to call this hippo-specific secretion viscous rather than sweat.

Because this separation The fluid is secreted by the subcutaneous gland, not by the sweat gland.. Viscous is colorless when it first leaves the body, but after a short time it turns first red and then brown as the pigments polymerize.

These secretions absorb the sun’s harmful UV rays and, in a way, ensure that sun protection role sees. It also provides antibiotic properties against some bacteria.

What about fish?

Although it may not seem possible, even in the depths of water, fish are exposed to harmful levels of UVB radiation. Because these rays can reach depths of more than 10 meters in clear water. power to penetrate has.

On the other hand, different organisms have their own ways of adapting to avoid exposure to UV radiation. For example, some have a device that repairs damage caused by UV radiation. DNA repair mechanism is available.

However, this mechanism does not provide perfect protection against UV damage, and therefore not against most aquatic organisms produces its own sunscreen. One of these sunscreens is melanin, but although this substance works as protection against the sun, it may not be effective enough for the young developing in the eggs.

Therefore, instead of melanin, an amino acid-like compound called gadusol works to protect the eggs of some fish species.

In addition, gadusol ensures that aquatic animals can camouflage themselves. Gadusol, It is transparent and invisible, unlike melanin, which is opaque and easily visible. An organism can hide through the gadusol and also take advantage of nutrient-rich sunny areas underwater.

So gadusol, for a fish primary sunscreen function During vision, melanin provides secondary protection against the sun.

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