What type of light can cause the formation of pyrimidine dimers between thymines?

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The formation of pyrimidine dimers, specifically thymine dimers, is primarily caused by ultraviolet (UV) light, particularly UV-B radiation. When DNA is exposed to UV-B light, the energy from the radiation can cause adjacent thymine bases on the same strand of DNA to bond together incorrectly, resulting in the formation of dimers. This process distorts the DNA structure, leading to errors during DNA replication if not repaired effectively.

UV-A light, while also part of the UV spectrum, is less energetic than UV-B and is not as effective in causing direct DNA damage like pyrimidine dimer formation. Visible light does not have enough energy to induce such molecular changes in DNA, and infrared light also lacks the appropriate energy levels needed for these reactions. Therefore, UV-B is the specific type of light associated with this particular form of DNA damage, making it the correct answer.

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