This term has two meanings:
Light sensitivity produced after photons are absorbed by an exogenous chromophore or an abnormally large amount of an endogenous chromophore.
Describes the physical process of increasing the (skin) sensitivity to the effects of light, mainly UVA- and UVB-absorbing substances (photosensitizer). When used to describe the reaction of skin to an exogenous chemical and UV or visible radiation, the term includes both photoirritation and photoallergic reactions.
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© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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(2016). Photosensitization. In: Vohr, HW. (eds) Encyclopedia of Immunotoxicology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54596-2_201162
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54596-2_201162
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