Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is employed by nearly all Pandoran life forms, as well as some on Earth. The Na'vi have patterns of glowing freckles that are unique to each individual. To avoid being detected by predators or prey, animals can damp down their own light. The RDA exploited it as another resource in the form of exotic jewelry and clothing.
== Colors ==
Most of Pandora's flora and fauna emit only one single color, often green, blue, indigo, or violet. There are exceptions, like the warbonnet fern. Its leaves are illuminated by a broad band of red near their stems and by an iridescent blue near their tips. On Pandora, there is also a bioluminescent moss that is touch-sensitive. It will send out rings of blue-green light as a reaction to footsteps.
== Anatomical structure and mechanism ==
Bioluminiscence is produced by enzymatic reactions that yield cold light. In such reactions, the valence electrons of organic molecules are raised to higher-energy orbitals, achieving an excited state. When those electrons return to their ground state, their energy is radiated away in photons, making up cold light. The conversion of chemical energy into light energy is very efficient, without any of it being lost as heat.
The reaction can occur within the metabolism of the creature or within symbiotic organisms that live inside of specialized organs, receiving food and oxygen from their host, and producing light in return.
There are several ways in which light production can be controlled:
* Limiting the availability of the involved chemicals.
* The reaction takes place in an organ that can be moved away from the surface.
* A translucent muscle carries the light from an internal organ to the surface by expansion and contraction.
* Covering of the light producing area with dark pigment cells (melanophores).
* A dark membrane that can be drawn over the light producing area.
==List of known luminescing fauna on Pandora==
*Anemonoid
*Arachnoid
*Avatar (species)
*Dinicthoid
*Direhorse
*Fan Lizard
*Forest Banshee
*Glow Worms
*Hellfire Wasp
*Hexapede
*Ilu
*Na'vi
*Stingbat
*Sturmbeest
*Thanator
*Tulkun
*Woodsprite
*Viperwolf
== Gallery ==
=== Avatar ===
File:Concept art 001.jpg
File:Concept art 012.jpg
File:Fan Lizard night Concept-art2.jpg
File:Pandora4.jpg
File:Pandora bioluminescent.png
File:15018 110078425670494 100000050101418 259952 4585896 n.jpg
File:Tree of Souls Art.jpg
File:Tree of Voices Concept-art1.jpg
File:Panopyra3.png
File:Lichen And Jake.jpg
File:Canoe and Anemonoids Concept-art..png
File:Utral Aymokriyä.jpg|Tree of Voices
=== Avatar: The Way of Water ===
File:Avatar 2 Concept 3.jpg
File:Ilu underwater concept art.png
File:Na'vi on ilus Empire.png
File:The Spirit Tree.png|Spirit Tree
File:Tsireya in the bioluminescent coral reefs of Pandora.jpg|Bioluminescent coral reefs of Pandora
File:Little fish swimming between Kiri's feet.jpg
File:Jake is talking to Kiri.png
Pandora’s Bioluminescent Beaches at Night.jpg
Jake and Neytiri on bioluminescent beach.png
File:Coral Reef Bioluminescent.png
File:Bioluminescent Corals.png
==Source==
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
de:Biolumineszenz
pl:Bioluminescencja
ru:Биолюминесценция
Category:Flora
Category:Mythology
Category:Avatar
Category:Anatomy