Molluscs and crustaceans must live in a water environment, not so much for the water itself but because their oxygen-absorbing organs only function in water. Some are adapted to live in the tidal zone where they are exposed to air for several hours without injury. Light Light is indispensable for the continued existence of chlorophyllous plants, but is not immediately essential for the lower forms of plants or for animals. Preferences for the presence or absence of visible light may, therefore, vary greatly with the individual species in any one class involved in biological attack. This is why mildew is more prevalent on the north side of buildings.
Many insects are indifferent to light but some prefer the night.
Termites generally avoid light except during the mating flight. Sufficient amounts of such UV would also kill other living organisms because the energy in the radiation is strong enough to degrade the protein polymers from which animals are made and the cellulose polymers of plants. As discussed in CBD 121 there is, fortunately, very little such UV received at the earth's surface. The organic building products that are most attacked for food purposes are those that are made from or chemically resemble natural materials. In the ages during which life has existed on earth different organisms have evolved in such a way that they can live on the most readily available nutrients.