system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How does UV light sanitize surfaces?
gpt
UV light is a short enough wave length that it can penetrate into cells/viruses.  When it does, it causes damage to the pathogen’s DNA.  Essentially it gives pathogens supercharged cancer.  It damages bacterial/viral DNA so badly that the cell can’t replicate and dies.  Which is why most UV sterilization protocols are a minimum of 15 minutes, sometimes up to an hour, to make sure enough damage is done.