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Q36 (CDS-I/2015) Environment & Ecology › Pollution & Conservation › Ozone layer protection Answer Verified

Ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere is important for living organisms because it

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The ozone layer, located primarily in the stratosphere, serves as a vital protective shield for life on Earth by absorbing and blocking harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun [5]. Specifically, it absorbs nearly all high-energy UV-C radiation and a significant portion of UV-B radiation [3]. Without this filtration, these high-energy rays would reach the Earth's surface, causing severe damage to living cells, including DNA damage, skin cancer, and cataracts in humans, as well as harming plants, microorganisms, and marine ecosystems [6]. While ozone is formed by the interaction of UV light with oxygen molecules, its primary ecological importance lies in its role as a filter for solar UV radiation rather than maintaining oxygen levels or preventing acid rain [5].

Sources

  1. [1] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 13: Our Home: Earth, a Unique Life Sustaining Planet > Did Mars ever support life? > p. 216
  2. [3] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 13: Our Environment > 13.2.1 Ozone Layer and How it is Getting Depleted > p. 212
  3. [5] https://ozone.unep.org/ozone-and-you
  4. [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 13: Our Environment > 13.2.1 Ozone Layer and How it is Getting Depleted > p. 213
  5. [4] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 19: Ozone Depletion > tg.r. 7. Environmental Effects of Ozone Depletion > p. 271
  6. [6] https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/basic-ozone-layer-science
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