Actinism (/ˈæktɪnɪzəm/) is the property of solar radiation that leads to the production of photochemical and photobiological effects.[1] Actinism is derived from the Ancient Greek ἀκτίς, ἀκτῖνος ("ray, beam"). The word actinism is found, for example, in the terminology of imaging technology (esp. photography), medicine (concerning sunburn), and chemistry (concerning containers that protect from photo-degradation), and the concept of actinism is applied, for example, in chemical photography and X-ray imaging.
Actinic (/ækˈtɪnɪk/) chemicals include silver salts used in photography and other light sensitive chemicals.