Photosensitizations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process by which a substance becomes reactive to light
2. A condition where skin or eyes exhibit heightened sensitivity to light due to a chemical reaction
3. The phenomenon where exposure to light induces a biochemical response in certain materials or organisms

Etymology: The word is a plain modern compound: "photo-" from Greek "phōs" (genitive "phōtos"), meaning light, joined to "sensitization," the act of making something sensitive. Its parts are old, but their combination belongs to the age of photochemistry, when chemists and photographers began studying how light alters materials. The Greek root "phōs" also gave English "photograph," so this term sits in the same family as the camera's name. "Sensitize" comes from the Latin "sensus," meaning feeling or perception, and the suffix "-ize," which came into English through Medieval Latin and Greek. "Sensitization" adds the Latin suffix "-ation," which turns a verb into a noun for the process. Put together, "photosensitization" names the process of making something responsive to light. The plural form, "photosensitizations," simply counts distinct instances of that process, such as separate cases in different organisms or materials.

Synonyms: photoallergy, photosensitivity, photoreactivity, photosensitizing reaction, photodermatitis