Also light can be used by predators to see better in the deep sea.įor lighted fish, bioluminescence is a matter of communicating and protecting themselves from being eaten or hurt, but for humans, the beautiful colors and light that are produced by these fish are commonly regarded as masterpieces.Ī temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History in 2012 explored these links between art and science. The clearest example is the species that use light as a bait, because some fish are attracted to the light and when they are close enough they are consumed. Another case may be that the brightness intensity of the emitted light demonstrates the male’s virility potential.īioluminescence is also used as an offensive technique. This technique is used by fireflies to reproduce. Males use light signals to attract females, while females can respond to males with other light emissions. Some species use the emission of lights to find a partner. Even some species shed bioluminescent limbs from their bodies as a distraction technique to prevent them from attacking vital organs, as do the Anomalopidae, the family of lantern fish. All help bioluminescent species survive, whether to reproduce, feed or defend themselves.Īs a defense system, bioluminescence is extremely effective: the light produced is used to scare or confuse predators. What are the Functions of Bioluminescence?īioluminescence has a wide range of functions within the animal kingdom. In several body parts of the bioluminescent animals there are small bladders, known as photophores, where they keep luminescent bacteria, which are activated or secreted when required. The bioluminescence that occurs through symbiosis with bacteria is the most widespread in the animal kingdom, especially in marine animals such as mollusks, echinoderms, fish and worms. This type of bioluminescence is common in some crustaceans and abyssal cephalopods. When the light is needed, the substances are secreted to make the chemical reaction. This type of bioluminescence is characteristic in several squids ( firefly squids) and dinoflagellates.Įxtracellular bioluminescence is when the reaction between luciferase and luciferin occurs outside the bioluminescent organism.īoth components are stored in different glands inside or on the animal’s skin. The first is that in which the chemical reaction is produced entirely inside the body of bioluminescent animals, through specialized cells. There are three main types of bioluminescence: intracellular, extracellular and that produced by the symbiotic relationship with bacteria. This allows the body to control the brightness of the light to release more or less protein, all this controlled by the nervous system of animals, in response to external factors. The light emitted by fireflies is an example of this reaction between luciferin and luciferase.Īnother kind of chemical reaction that also allows some species to emit light is through ions, rather than enzymes. There are various types of luciferin, which vary depending on the animal that receives the reaction many organisms also produce the luciferase catalyst, which helps accelerate the reaction.
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