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wisdomrays · 4 years

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TAFAKKUR: Part 123

Let There Be Light!: Bioluminescence in Marine Life

His exalted name, “Light,” touches the darkness

and everywhere is filled with light.

The letters written from a brilliant world

are revealed to the hearts;

Then the Divine command,

“Read in the name of your Lord!”

descends and becomes our intentions.

We look around the Earth and believe that we start to sail into the dark upon reaching the depths of the skies, the land, and the oceans. But if we look with care, we may notice that the inhabitants of those places often inform us of the beauties they are created with.

The depths of the oceans, especially, are where what we see leave us amazed. From microscopic bacteria to giant squids, and from tiny lighted jellyfish to spiny skin, many creatures, from ascidians to some sharks and stingrays, turn on their lights, literally, illuminating the darkness of the deep sea. This biological light-producing process in the body of some animals is called bioluminescence. It is astounding that these creatures can emit biological light with no change in their body temperature. Normally, light is formed by emitting heat. This basic principle applies to some of the most common sources of light that we know of, such as campfires and electrical lightbulbs.

A mechanism that produces light without heat has been created in some insects living under the sea as well as those on land. The basis of biological light production is generally the oxidation of luciferin, i.e. its conversion to oxyluciferin. The enzyme necessary for this chemical reaction to occur is luciferase.

Most living creatures that can produce bioluminescence live in deep, dark areas of the world’s various seas and oceans. Some of the inhabitants of these depths emit strong blue (secondarily green) light at an average wavelength of 475 nm. An interesting note is that underwater life forms are often created with sensitivity to the wavelengths of blue-green lights mentioned above. In rare cases, there are also sea creatures that emit light in the yellow-red wavelength range.

Animals with the ability to emit light are also usually given excellent control mechanisms so that they can use their equipment as a weapon. They can turn their lights on and off in a flash and can utilize complex chemical and neurological mechanisms that provide functions such as adjusting the intensity, color, and direction of the light. Creatures that produce light underwater sometimes do not need to use the light in order to see where they are going. Instead, they tend to use these marvelous gifts in a variety of strategic ways. Some will try to attract the attention of their prey; others will attempt to ward off predators and aggressors; still others will use their lights to indicate that they are ready for reproduction. It is even possible for some creatures to utilize several of these functions at the same time.

Let us now examine some specific species and how they employ bioluminescence.

Light vomiting shrimp

One of the most interesting examples of bioluminescence in animals is the light-emitting deep-sea shrimp Acanthephyra purpurea. This shrimp will actually vomit light from its mouth as a last-ditch effort to deter predators. The intent is to disorient, confuse, and even temporarily blind other creatures, similar to the effect of a flashbang grenade, so that the shrimp can retreat into the dark. As a result of their research on the shrimps, marine biologist Edith Widder states that the chemical substances sprayed are not blue when they are in the body and that the blue light production occurs when the luciferin substance in the sprayed liquid comes into contact with the oxygen in water.

Loosejaw fish

There are at least 42 recorded families of bony fish that have bioluminescent properties. One of them is the Photostomias guernei, or the “loosejaw fish”. This fish has a remarkable organ that emits light on the sides of its eyes. These lights, which resemble the headlight lamps of our cars, are not constantly lit, in order to avoid waste. When hunting, the fish illuminates the way ahead with the light it produces, and it can turn these lights off when they are no longer needed. A wonderful feature of this organ is that, just like headlights, a highly reflective layer is created behind the main center of the light. The reason that the fish is able to turn the light off may be because its black velvety body is contrasted by the light color of the organ and would thus attract much unwanted attention.

Deep sea hatchetfish

Bioluminescent systems were also given to creatures in order to act as a means of camouflage. They work phenomenally for both hunting and survival in situations where blending in with the environment is paramount for catching prey or evading predators. In the depths of the underwater world, the silhouette of an animal bathing in light is an easily recognizable target. One of the best examples of this phenomenon is the deep-sea hatchetfish. The fish has been created with its eyes on top of its body and its mouth facing upwards, making it easier to hunt. It also emits bioluminescence from its abdomen to provide camouflage against more aggressive, larger fish that swim lower than itself. The color of the light emitted makes it difficult to recognize the fish from below as it perfectly matches the color intensity of the environment. In the meantime, if the sunlight that hits the sea is interrupted in any way, the fish will turn off its lights and the camouflage will continue.

Black dragonfish

Diversity in the light organs of the scaleless black dragonfish (Melanostomias bartonbeani)

This species of black dragonfish (Melanostomias bartonbeani) takes advantage of luminescence in a number of ways. An illuminated area next to the eyes is used to find prey and send signals to its mates. The black dragonfish’s chin also has an illuminated extension that dangles in the waves as bait for naive prey. In addition, a set of small organs of light arranged along its abdomen play a role in concealing its silhouette. Furthermore, light-emitting pocket-like structures surrounded by a gelatinous capsule embedded in the skin are used as alarm systems. The bioluminescent systems within this creature are immensely complex and beautiful, and when observed in detail reveal the dazzling splendor of the world that we live in.

Fish with 3 different types of illumination

The Northern Stoplight Loosejaw (Malacosteus niger) has three different types of light organs, the complex use of which cannot be possible without top engineering skills. The wide, drop-shaped, illuminated organ under its eyes emits a red light at a wavelength of 702 nm as if it knows the laws of optics under the sea. This red light is not visible to most deep-sea creatures, for it is quickly absorbed in water. Yet, with this red light this fish is able to have vision in a close proximity while remaining largely undetected. This is similar to infrared binoculars soldiers use for night vision without giving away their position. The loosejaw is thus a dangerous hunter that has an edge over its prey. There also exists a blue light-emitting oval section, behind the organ, that emits red light and is usually larger in males. A third light organ is round and smaller and is located between the eyes and the red-light organ.

Angler fish

The angler fish is one of the most iconic fish of the deep ocean due to its famous rod and bioluminescence. The angler fish does not actually produce its light on its own: the light is credited to bioluminescent symbiotic bacteria that inhabit the end of the rod on their forehead. This illuminated part, which resembles a worm-like bait, is very attractive to small fish. These fish are thus lured to the angler expecting a quick snack, but instead the angler swallows them whole with its massive mouth. While doing their task of helping the angler hunt small fish, the bacteria maintain a symbiotic relationship with the fish and also find an environment in which to proliferate. In this way, they form a good example of cooperation and solidarity. One may wonder: how can such a mutual agreement come into fruition between a fish and some bacteria which are deprived of a nervous system, mind, and consciousness?

One of the reasons that marine biologists are interested in light-emitting bacteria is the wide-lit regions called the “Milky Seas.” These can be observed in satellite images of Earth. Recently, satellites helped detect a bioluminescent area of roughly 5,946 sq. mi in the Indian Ocean; scientists wondered if some bioluminescent bacteria or Dinoflagellate-type flame-colored algae may be the cause of the phenomenon.

Alarming jellyfish

The luminescence of some marine life serves as an alarm or distress siren. A remarkable example of this is the Atolla jellyfish (Atolla wyvillei), an elegant inhabitant of deep waters. This jellyfish produces blue lights that are spread in circles in the water when it is attacked. Thanks to these lights, it tries to draw the attention of larger and stronger animals than the initial attacker in order to escape from harm’s way.

As can be observed in some species that we are familiar with, such as fireflies, the bioluminescence feature that is full of wisdom granted to some living beings is a thought-provoking biological miracle which does not only make us ponder where they got these abilities from but also reveals how so many intricate patterns are found in nature.

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scifigeneration · 5 years

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How fireflies glow – and what signals they're sending

by Clyde Sorenson

A firefly’s light is part of its mating strategy. Japan's Fireworks/Shutterstock.com

You might not really be sure you saw what you think you saw when the first one shows up. But you stare in the direction of the flicker of light and there it is again – the first firefly of the evening. If you are in good firefly habitat, soon there are dozens, or even hundreds, of the insects flying about, flashing their mysterious signals.

Fireflies – alternatively known as lightning bugs in much of the United States – are neither flies nor bugs. They’re soft-winged beetles, related to click beetles and others. The most dramatic aspect of their biology is that they can produce light; this ability in a living organism, called bioluminescence, is relatively rare.

I’m an entomologist who does research on, and teaches about, the ecology and biology of insects. Recently, I’ve been trying to understand the diversity and ecology of fireflies in my home state of North Carolina. Fireflies are found widely across North America, including many places in the west, but they are most abundant and diverse in the eastern half of the continent, from Florida to southern Canada.

Bioluminescent beetles

A chemical reaction in the beetle’s abdomen gives it its bioluminescence. Cathy Keifer/Shutterstock.com

Fireflies produce light in special organs in their abdomens by combining a chemical called luciferin, enzymes called luciferases, oxygen and the fuel for cellular work, ATP. Entomologists think they control their flashing by regulating how much oxygen goes to their light-producing organs.

Fireflies probably originally evolved the ability to light up as a way to ward off predators, but now they mostly use this ability to find mates. Interestingly, not all fireflies produce light; there are several species that are day-flying and apparently rely on the odors of pheromones to find each other.

Each firefly species has its own signaling system. In most North American species, the males fly around at the right height, in the right habitat and at the right time of night for their species, and flash a signal unique to their kind. The females are sitting on the ground or in vegetation, watching for males. When a female sees one making her species’ signal – and doing it well – she flashes back with a species-appropriate flash of her own. Then the two reciprocally signal as the male flies down to her. If everything goes right, they mate.

A good example is Photinus pyralis, a common backyard species often called the Big Dipper. A male flies at dusk about 3 feet off the ground. Every five seconds or so, he makes a one-second flash as he flies in the shape of a “J.” The female Photinus pyralis sits in low vegetation. If she sees a fellow she likes, she waits two seconds before making a half second flash of her own at the third second.

Some species may “call” for many hours a night, while others flash for only 20 minutes or so right at dusk. Firefly light communication can get much more complicated; some species have multiple signaling systems, and some might use their light organs for other purposes.

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Some Tennessee fireflies put on a synchronized show.

While most male fireflies do their own thing and flash independently of other males of the same species, there are those that synchronize their flashes when there are many others around. In North America, the two most famous species that do this are the Photinus carolinus of the Appalachian Mountains, including in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Photuris frontalis that light up places like Congaree National Park in South Carolina.

In both these species, scientists think the males synchronize so everyone has a chance to look for females, and for females to signal males. These displays are spectacular, and the crush of folks wanting to see them at the most famous locations has made it necessary to conduct a lottery for permission to view them. Both species, however, occur over wide geographic ranges, and it might be possible to see them in other, less congested places.

Stinky chemical defenses

Many fireflies protect themselves from predators with chemicals called lucibufagins. These are molecules the insects synthesize from other chemicals they eat in their diet. Lucibufagins are chemically very similar to the toxins toads exude on their skins, and while they are toxic in the right doses, they are also extremely distasteful.

Birds and other predators quickly learn to avoid fireflies. I’ve watched a toad on my back porch eat a firefly and promptly spit it back out; the insect walked away, gooey but apparently unharmed. A colleague of mine once put a firefly in his mouth – and his mouth went numb for an hour!

Mating Photinus pyralis. Clyde Sorenson, CC BY-ND

Many other insects visually mimic fireflies in order to reap the benefit of looking like something unpleasant to eat and poisonous. Fireflies appear to produce other defensive chemicals, too, some of which may contribute to their distinctive smell.

Many Photuris fireflies can’t manufacture these defensive chemicals. So the females of these big, long-legged lightning bugs do something surprising: Once they’ve mated, they start mimicking the flashes of female Photinus and then eat the males that respond. These femme fatales go on to use the lucibufagins they acquire from ingesting their severely disappointed prey to protect themselves and their eggs from predators. They quickly transfer the chemicals to their blood, and spontaneously bleed if a predator grabs them.

Once fireflies lose a pocket of habitat, it’s unlikely they’ll come back. Fer Gregory/Shutterstock.com

No place like home

Most fireflies are habitat specialists, using woodlands, meadows and marshes. They rely on that habitat remaining undisturbed for the year or more it takes them to complete their lifecycles. These insects spend most of their lives as larvae preying on earthworms and other animals in the soil or leaf litter – most adults don’t feed at all. If that habitat is disrupted during their youth, populations can be extinguished.

Adding to this vulnerability is the fact that the females of many species – like the famous blue ghosts of the southern Appalachians and elsewhere – are wingless and can’t disperse any further than they can walk. If a population of blue ghosts is destroyed by logging or other disruption, there will be no reestablishment. Habitat destruction is therefore one of the greatest threats to fireflies. Other hazards include light pollution from artificial lights and perhaps insecticide applications for mosquito control.

There is much yet to learn about fireflies. Entomologists like me have identified about 170 or so species in North America, but it is clear that many more species occur here. Pay attention to the fireflies in your neighborhood; observe their flash patterns and behavior. Perhaps you’ll discover one of those new species.

About The Author:

Clyde Sorenson is Professor of Entomology,= at North Carolina State University

This article is republished from our content partners at The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

#science #biology #entomology #bioluminescence #bioluminosity #beetles #insects #zoology

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allcleartreeservice · 5 years

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Glow-In The-Dark Trees Lining Up Your Streets

We are no strangers to seeing tall and imposing trees all over our neighborhood. They often line up the city and rural streets to give the public shade and relief from the heat and offer a more homey vibe to the landscape. Having trees around us is really a great way to improve our health and well-being especially for all those city-dwellers who rarely have time to go out of town to simply enjoy the great outdoors. Trees lining up city streets are a staple in any major city or virtually all over the country and we don’t want it any differently. You can often find them standing tall and proud beside equally imposing traffic lights that help maintain order in busy city streets and the street lights that allow us to see things better at night.

Yet we all know that our technology keeps on progressing. Many scientists today dream of even more outrageous ideas and some may actually be beneficial for society. One of the more ambitious projects under work today is the idea of making plants light up at night rather than use city street lights that are a staple now in keeping the roads lighted and safe. They plan on realizing this by developing bioluminescent plants through nanoparticles that keep plants lighted up for up to four hours straight similar to the glow emitted by fireflies. How do they intend to do it? It all involves the use of luciferase, a molecule that triggers the luciferin, a molecule that causes things to light up.

Roads of the future could be lit by glowing trees instead of streetlamps, thanks to a breakthrough in creating bioluminescent plants.

Experts injected specialised nanoparticles into the leaves of a watercress plant, which caused it to give off a dim light for nearly four hours.

The chemical involved, which produced enough light to read a book by, is the same as is used by fireflies to create their characteristic shine.

To create their glowing plants, engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) turned to an enzyme called luciferase.

Luciferase acts on a molecule called luciferin, causing it to emit light.

Another molecule called Co-enzyme A helps the process along by removing a reaction byproduct that can inhibit luciferase activity.

(Via: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5178531/MIT-creates-bioluminescent-trees-glow-like-fireflies.html)

While the process on how to do it has now been identified and laid down, the work is not yet over. The experts are still on the lookout for the ideal plant to be injected with this chemical that would work perfectly as glow-in-the-dark trees to light up dark city streets at night. They also have to figure out just how much concentration of this chemical will be used to keep the plant lighted up all night long without unnecessarily endangering the health of the tree due to toxic buildup. Their research is now pointing to the watercress plant that may eventually work like a desk lamp, only that it will be lighting up the outside streets instead of indoors.

A few years ago, a startup called Glowing Plants launched a campaign on Kickstarter to make plants that could glow in the dark using the same luciferase reaction. Four years after raising $500,000, they found glowing plants are a little harder to make than they expected, and their plan didn’t work out. At best, they could make plants that glowed very faintly, but not enough to illuminate anything.

The MIT researchers are using a different method to produce their glowing plants. The Kickstarter group went for a genetic solution, while the MIT group opted for embedding the proteins directly into the plants. The end result, however, is essentially the same. So far, the MIT researchers have managed to make plants that give off only a thousandth of the light required for reading.

It’s possible that with more research, the scientists might be able to improve their method. The researchers are optimistic that they’ll be able to make brighter plants soon, and they’re hoping to adapt their current method of embedding the proteins.

(Via: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-tech/a14428971/mit-researchers-want-to-make-glow-in-the-dark-plants/)

The plant can only light up as bright as a desk lamp that can help you read books at night but a few tweaks here and there and the scientists are hopeful that soaking plants on this solution can help them be bright enough to light up an entire room. In the future, it is highly possible that the plants will be able to replace street lights and provide a more cost-effective solution to our growing energy needs as our days are stretched farther and farther into the night. Like with any scientific experiments, it is not always a success at the first try but the key here is persistence. It won’t be surprising that researchers at MIT will eventually be able to crack the right formula for making this dream a success and actually doable in real life.

When that happens, some existing trees lining up your streets right now may need to be uprooted in favor of the glow-in-the-dark ones. Check out https://www.allcleartree.com/trimming for professional tree trimming to ensure that this modern biotechnology has a clean slate to start with.

Glow-In The-Dark Trees Lining Up Your Streets was originally published on ACTS

from https://www.allcleartree.com/trimming/glow-in-the-dark-trees-lining-up-your-streets

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bio2muon · 7 years

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Bioluminescent Trees

Trees have been called the structural elements of the ecosystem. There are trees for shade and shelter, trees that provide fruits and nuts, ornamental trees and flowering trees, deciduous and evergreen. They come in all shapes and sizes from tiny dwarfs to the towering canopy of the forests. They exist all over the world except in the driest and coldest climates.

Trees provide countless benefits from helping prevent soil erosion to reducing the air temperature. Trees also provide, food, wood, and oxygen, and even help combat climate change, but they are not only beneficial for the environment but can also be beneficial for your personal needs. The trees – which are usually color green – can relax us and help our eyes quickly recover from strain. They are also used for the beauty of our homes and for the enhancement of the appearance of the parks and malls around us.

But what if trees glow? Have you ever heard of bioluminescent trees? Have you ever imagined enjoying evening strolls in the park with the paths lit not by street lights but by trees?

Lighting creates as much CO2 as cars. With bioluminescent trees, we can reduce the amount of CO2 emmitted, and less energy will be consumed. Also, parks with glowing trees instead of street lamps can attract tourists, and this can give additional profit.

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. The light emitted by a bioluminescent organism is produced by energy released from chemical reactions occurring inside (or ejected by) the organism. Bioluminescent organisms are actually not as rare as one might imagine it to be. In fact, fireflies and jellyfish are examples of bioluminescent organisms.

In order for us to have bioluminescent trees, we have identified 3 biotechnology techniques. First is the DNA marker.

DNA marker refers to a specific DNA variation that has been found to be associated with a certain characteristic. DNA marker testing or genotyping determines which alleles an is carrying for a DNA marker(s).

The part of the DNA of the firefly that is responsible for its bioluminescence will be identified by DNA testing. Using the same procedure, the part of the DNA of the kalachuchi tree where the bioluminescence gene will be inserted will also be established.

The second biotechnology technique is DNA recombination which refers to the exchange of DNA strands to produce new nucleotide sequence arrangements. Recombination occurs typically, though not exclusively, between regions of similar sequence by breaking and rejoining DNA segments.

The five steps in DNA recombination are :

1. Identification and isolation of gene of interest. The gene of interest for this experiment is the bioluminescent gene from the jellyfish, this gene will be isolated.

2. Join the gene into a plasmid which involves the construction of the recombinant DNA. In this process, restriction enzymes as used as scissors for cutting DNA molecules. It will be combined with plasmid to make a recombinant DNA.

3. The recombinant DNA will be integrated into a host cell.

4. Selection of transformed host cell. The transformed host cell contains the characteristics of the recombinant DNA.

5. Multiplication of the bioluminescent DNA in the host cell. The recombinant DNA will multiply inside the host cell.

The tree with the altered DNA will be grown until it reaches the proper stage when small amounts of the parent tissue can be taken. This method, which is also the third step, is called tissue culture. Plant tissue culture is the technique of maintaining and growing plant cells, tissues or organs especially on artificial medium in suitable containers under controlled environmental conditions. The small amount of the kalachuchi tree, like a leaf, will be taken and transferred into plates that contains nutrient agar.

After the plant hormones are added, cells grow into small masses of tissue, and more growth hormones are added for the roots and stems to grow. The tiny plantlets are then transferred into trays where they can develop into trees.

by: Salonga, Estanislao, Padilla

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