Bioluminescence: How Living Things Make Their Own Light

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Bioluminescence is the ability of a living organism to produce and emit light through a chemical reaction. The basic process usually involves luciferin, a light-producing molecule, oxygen, and an enzyme such as luciferase that helps the reaction happen. When luciferin reacts with oxygen, chemical energy is released as visible light. Different organisms use different versions of these chemicals, so the color and behavior of the glow can vary. Bioluminescence is especially common in the ocean, where many fish, jellyfish, plankton, shrimp, worms, and other organisms use light. Some species make the needed chemicals themselves, while others obtain them from food or live with light-producing bacteria. The light can serve several purposes, including attracting prey, confusing or deterring predators, communicating, or helping an animal blend into the faint light above it. Unlike fluorescence, which needs an outside light source, bioluminescence creates light from chemical energy inside or associated with a living organism.