Imagine: it’s the summertime, you’re sitting on your porch enjoying the warm breeze and watching the sunset, when a small flicker of light catches your eye. It’s a firefly! And like the stars, once you see one, you start to notice more. What you are witnessing is a phenomenon called bioluminescence.
Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism due to a chemical reaction, diet, or even through a symbiotic relationship. Let’s dive in and talk chemistry first. Bioluminescent reactions occur when a substrate called luciferin is oxidized.
This is done with a special enzyme called luciferase. With this reaction, light is created! Fireflies can control the timing of their light by using oxygen to initiate the reaction. However, not all animals who luminesce can do it on their own.
This is when symbiotic relationships or the diet of the organisms comes into play. A symbiotic relationship is one between two species who benefit from each other in some shape or form. In the glowing realm of bioluminescence, we can turn to the Hawaiian bobtail squid for an example of this.
The Hawaiian bobtail squid is a tiny two-inch long nocturnal squid. This creature houses a bacterium called Vibrio Fischeri in a special “light organ” located in the squid’s mantel. In other words, the bacterium has a home and the squid glows.
The glow protects the squid, as it allows them to camouflage their silhouette from predators. Some other organisms get their glowing complexion f.