Bioluminescence
Subtitle: living lights, lights for living
By: Therese Wilson, J. Woodland Hastings
Contributors: Hastings, J. Woodland (John Woodland), 1927-2014
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 185
ISBN-13: 9780674067165
Subjects: Bioluminescence
Description: Bioluminescence is everywhere on earth, most of all in the ocean, from angler fish in the depths to flashing dinoflagellates at the surface. Wilson and Hastings explore the natural history, evolution, and biochemistry of the diverse array of organisms that emit light and offer an evolutionary explanation for their sporadic distribution and rarity.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Pt. I. Five different bioluminescence systems. 1. A marine crustacean : bioluminescent fishes as plagiarists and thieves ; 2. Jelly fish and green fluorescent protein : a soft coral, a calcium-sensitive protein, and fish with related bioluminescence systems ; 3. Fireflies and other beetles : luciferase-dependent bioluminescence color and rhythmic displays ; 4. Dinoflagellates and krill : the sparkling clocks of the oceans and bioluminescent shrimp ; 5. Bacteria : bacterial "communication," symbioses, and milky seas; title: pt. II. Diversity, functions, and evolutionary origins of bioluminescence. 6. Short accounts of other luminous organisms : having different and not well-characterized biochemistries ; 7. Bioluminescence in the oceans : anglerfish, dragonfish, and a Lake Baikal parenthesis ; 8. The many functions of bioluminescence : defense, offense, communication, and propagation ; 9. The origins and evolution of bioluminescence : how did luciferases originate?; title: pt. III. Bookends. 10. Applications : tools for biology, medicine, and public health ; 11. How does life make light? : "excited molecules" and bioluminescence.