What Is Bioluminescence?

Enzymes are capable of producing light without any additional energy requirement- cold light. Every glowworm can do this as well. The phenomenon is known as bioluminescence, a term which means something like living light. Not only glowworms and their blinking relatives in many tropical countries flash their living lights, many fish crustaceans and sponges in the dark depths of the oceans are bioluminescent, as are some beetles, millipedes and worms. The so called railroad worm of Uruguay is a particularly interesting example. It can even glow in the two colors. Along the right and left sides of its body are rows of little green lamp and in the front on its head, it has two red lamps. It alone knows why.

We have no need to go diving into the depths of the ocean or to far away Uruguay in our search for a further living thing capable of bioluminescence; we ourselves perform the feat, albeit rather weakly. Macrophages, important phagocytic in our immune system, can also glow. Our intestine can glow as well. The latter is performed by the exogenic microorganisms possessing the enzymes which function specially for the purpose.

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This is the study of things that produce their own light! Mostly in total darkness.

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