The chemical reaction        atomBgWHT.gif (3886 bytes)

The scientists finally found the chemical reaction that produces the bioluminescence:

    

It needs four elements: oxygen, luciferin, luciferase, and ATP, a substance that can generate the necessary energy for the reaction.

The oxygen produces the oxidation of the luciferin. Then, the luciferase speed up  the reaction, and with the energy that gives the ATP, it produces that finally gives oxyluciferin and light.

The intensity of this light is so big, and lights up different parts of the animal’s bodies. The reaction is so quick (only one microsecond ) and is in a constant change. The composition of the luciferin and luciferase vary depends the animal that produces. It makes that could be different light colours, green to blue or red to amber. 

  As all the reactions, the bioluminescence reaction needs something that makes the reaction begun. In this reaction it must be produce a perturbation that put  the organisms in to produce the reaction. It could be a crush with other organisms, the sight of a dangerous animals, etc.

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