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Outline On Bioluminescence

Satisfactory Essays

Bioluminescence
I. Introduction
A. Bioluminescence is the production of light by an organism. It is the capability of an organism to produce an emit light through chemical means.
B. Bioluminescence is a cold light. This means that less than 20% of the light creates thermal radiation.
C. Many animals use bioluminescence to defend themselves, attract mates, and lure prey.
II. How Bioluminescence Works
A. Luciferin
1. A luciferin is a light-producing substance
B. Luciferase
1. A luciferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction
C. Other Substances Used
1. Oxygen
2. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
3. Sometime uses a photoprotein rather than a luciferase
D. How these substances work together to create bioluminescence

III. Function/ Use of Bioluminescence …show more content…

Defense against predators
1. Can be used as a decoy/distraction
C. Communication
1. Mating
D. Camouflage
1. Squids use bioluminescence to match the light above them to make it difficult for prey to detect them from below.
E. Repulsion
1. Certain squids and crustaceans use bioluminescence to make clouds of luminescence to repel predators
IV. Appearance/ Colors
A. Color is based on the chemistry
1. What causes what colors
B. Land animals mostly bioluminesce in green or yellow colors, sometimes red.
1. fireflies
C. Ocean animals mostly bioluminesce in blue-green or green colors
1. Because all light colors do not transmit equally through the water
2. Blue-green light transmits the best through ocean water
V. Dinoflagellates
A. Most common source of bioluminescence at the surface of the ocean.
B. Unicellular protists
1. planktonic
C. Cause the ocean to have a sparkling appearance at night
D. Emit blue-green light
VI. Counterillumination
A. Form of bioluminescence used to camouflage
1. Makes it difficult differentiate from the light above
a. Squid
VII. Misconceptions
A. Bioluminescence is caused mostly by bacteria
1. Actually: bacteria can bioluminesce but most bioluminescent animals have chemicals absorbed in their bodies to produce …show more content…

Bioluminescence is the same as “fluorescence”
1. Actually: Fluorescence is “luminescence that is cause by the absorption of radiation at one wavelength at one wavelength followed by nearly immediately reradiation usually at a different wavelength and that ceases almost at once when the incident radiation stops,” Merriam-Webster dictionary. This basically means turning on and off a light switch. Fluorescence is what is used in lightbulbs.
C. Bioluminescence is the same as phosphorescence
1. Actually: Phosphorescence is similar to fluorescence but more stable. The time until energy is released is much longer. This results in an afterglow. Phosphorescence is used in glow-in-the-dark stickers.
D. Arrow Worms are the only plankton that are not bioluminescent
1. Actually: While most arrow worms (also known as Chaetognatha) do not, there is one species that does in fact bioluminesce when they are disturbed.
VIII. Bioluminescent Organisms
A. Land Organisms
1. Fireflies, fungi, glow worms, Railroad worms, foxfire etc.
B. Marine

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