It is as beautiful a phenomenon as it is a word! Let’s ignite our minds.
What is Bioluminescence? As the word says (bio: living, luminescence: light), it is the light generated by living organisms. These living creatures can create their own otherworldly light! The most common example of this is the fireflies. We all have awe towards these little creatures that produce light and it is a delightful feast for the eyes.
Do you know where you can find millions of creatures like these? The answer is: At the depths of the oceans! Yes, you heard correctly. When we look at oceans we picture a gloomy bottomless dark pit. But the truth is that if you peek deep below you will find the most beautiful luminescent sights ever. There are jellyfishes, algae, bacteria, fishes, seahorses, squids, corals, starfishes, and even sharks that show this phenomenon.
Bioluminescence is an evolved strategy that is used by all these organisms. Fireflies use it to attract mates, fishes use it to attract prey while some simply use it to see in the dark because sunlight wouldn’t penetrate that deep into the opaque oceans, right? So you need a body that works as a flashlight itself.
Now one would say, ‘Bioluminescence sounds like a heart-capturing phenomenon Amulya, but how in the world would I go deep diving into oceans? It seems kinda inaccessible.’ Well, then I have another way for you!
Imagine you are at the beach and blue fairy lights light up the complete bay, seems beautiful doesn’t it? But what if they are ‘living’ fairy lights? Yes, they exist! These microscopic creatures are called dinoflagellates. They are seen as tiny fluorescent blue lights when the water moves at night. These beaches look so beautiful in photos that I have them on my ‘must-visit’ list! And in my not-so-esteemed opinion, everyone should. And if you live in India then be surprised, there’s a bioluminescent beach in Mumbai!
Here’s a link to finding these:
India:
Glowing beaches in India
Around the world:
Glowing beaches around the world
So how do these organisms produce light? What is it that they do so differently than us? Unlike most organisms we see on Earth these creatures can glow in the dark. This is because inside their body certain chemical reactions take place that can produce light. So bioluminescence is a byproduct of chemiluminescence (light produced by chemicals) inside a biological body. The most predominant chemical in most of these reactions is ‘luciferin’. Luciferin means ‘light bearer’. It reacts with an enzyme called ‘luciferase’ in the presence of oxygen and energy(ATP) to produce light. There are other chemical reactions like these as well, but the luciferin-luciferase reaction is the most popular of them all.
Except for all the marine creatures there are even other terrestrial creatures like worms and fungi that show bioluminescence.
In this deep world of light, there’s still an ocean to be uncovered. Scientists are now using genes from bioluminescent bacteria to genetically modify normal organisms into light-producers. Maybe soon we will have organic trees that shine like street lights. Our Earth is as fascinating as it gets.
Let there be light and then there was light.
Find out more!
Video on Bioluminescence
TedTalk on Bioluminescence