• through chemical reactions or bacteria (eg. dinoflagelates emit light when agitated):
    • absorb light
    • emit light
    • scatter light
  • all energy is transferred into light (no heat emission) – energy aquired from the sun or food
  • used for:
    • finding food
    • attracting mates
    • defense/camouflage
  • light organs: systems of lenses, mirrors, irises, light guides , color filters and shutters
  • organs: suckers (shallow water) - light organs (deep ocean) – both used for communication
  • interensting transformations in the following organisms:
    • luminous responses in gelatinous species (jellies): http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/photo.html – The hydromedusa Aequorea victoria is probably the most famous bio luminescent marine organism. Calcium-activated photoprotein and green-fluorescent protein (GFP) were first discovered and cloned from this cnidarian.
    • octopus
    • squid
    • cuttlefish
    • bact. Vibrio fisceri does not emit light until the population of cells has reached a concentrated culture:
      • population density influences light emission
      • population can sense its own concentration
      • quorum sensing + cell to cell communication:
        • a. send: cell announcing their existence to their neighbours +determining whether many cells are present (through a signal molecule)
        • b. receive message
        • c. translate message
        • d. act upon message (emit light)

Here are all the instructions you will need for growing temperate-tropical dinoflagellates in a lab (or at home) → http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/dinohome.html

from the 'interesting organism” section → http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/

  • luminous_organism.txt
  • Last modified: 2007-06-12 12:56
  • by 127.0.0.1