An illumination unit includes one or more light sources each including a solid-state light-emitting device configured to emit light from a light emission region including a single or a plurality of light-emitting spots. The solid-state light-emitting device includes a single chip or a plurality of chips each emitting a light beam. Three or more of the light-emitting spots are provided within the whole of one or more light sources, to allow the whole of one or more light sources to emit light beams in two or more wavelength bands different from one another, and the solid-state light emitting device in a first light source which is at least one of the one or more light sources, has a plurality of light-emitting spots which emit light in the same wavelength band.