SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND
Why does some plants and animals glow in the dark?
The biggest amount of the luminous species are found deep under the surface of water.
The ocean, as a habitat of life, has some special features. First of all, there are no places to hide in huge areas of the water depth. And that means that invisibility is in the price. Second, the lower you go, the darker it gets. This means that most of the ocean is completely dark for a whole day, and in such conditions light is a very useful weapon. This type of the phenomenon is called bioluminescence.
The very ability to produce light is not a rare evolutionary achievement.
It was created independently of each other in at least 40 different groups of organisms. And there is nothing surprising in this, because it is easy to get the ingredients you need. A lot of substances can be used for luciferase(catalyst enables the emission of light). It's easy to find out in the kitchen. Just whisk egg whites and add some luciferase from the jellyfish, and you'll probably see blue flashes when you'll get into the dark room. In the ocean it is even simpler. It is enough that it's being created by creatures from the beginning of the food chain. Perhaps this is why luminous beings occur in the oceans more often than on land, because it is easier to find the necessary ingredients in them.
The biggest amount of the luminous species are found deep under the surface of water.
The ocean, as a habitat of life, has some special features. First of all, there are no places to hide in huge areas of the water depth. And that means that invisibility is in the price. Second, the lower you go, the darker it gets. This means that most of the ocean is completely dark for a whole day, and in such conditions light is a very useful weapon. This type of the phenomenon is called bioluminescence.
The very ability to produce light is not a rare evolutionary achievement.
It was created independently of each other in at least 40 different groups of organisms. And there is nothing surprising in this, because it is easy to get the ingredients you need. A lot of substances can be used for luciferase(catalyst enables the emission of light). It's easy to find out in the kitchen. Just whisk egg whites and add some luciferase from the jellyfish, and you'll probably see blue flashes when you'll get into the dark room. In the ocean it is even simpler. It is enough that it's being created by creatures from the beginning of the food chain. Perhaps this is why luminous beings occur in the oceans more often than on land, because it is easier to find the necessary ingredients in them.
Girl, is there something in this world you're not interested in? You surprise me with every post! Maybe you should prepare a lecture about glowing animals and plants?
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