• through chemical reactions or bacteria (eg. dinoflagelates emit light when agitated):
  • absorb light
  • emit light
  • scatter light

• all energy is transferred into light (no heat emission) – energy aquired from the sun or food

• used for:
  • finding food
  • attracting mates
  • defense/camouflage

• light organs: systems of lenses, mirrors, irises, light guides , color filters and shutters

• organs: suckers (shallow water) - light organs (deep ocean) – both used for communication

• interensting transformations in the following organisms:
  • luminous responses in gelatinous species (jellies): http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/photo.html – The hydromedusa Aequorea victoria is probably the most famous bio luminescent marine organism. Calcium-activated photoprotein and green-fluorescent protein (GFP) were first discovered and cloned from this cnidarian.
  • octopus
  • squid
  • cuttlefish
  • bact. Vibrio fisceri does not emit light until the population of cells has reached a concentrated culture:
    • population density influences light emission
    • population can sense its own concentration
    • quorum sensing + cell to cell communication:
      • a. send: cell announcing their existence to their neighbours +determining whether many cells are present (through a signal molecule)
      • b. receive message
      • c. translate message
      • d. act upon message (emit light)

• introduction to bioluminescence: http://www.bio.cmu.edu/courses/03441/TermPapers/97TermPapers/lux/bioluminescence.html
• symposia, stories, references, images… http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/
• resources: http://siobiolum.ucsd.edu/Biolum_web.html
• “glow in the dark organisms (bacteria, funghi, plants, insects): http://www.luxgene.com/

• the mysterious firefly squid > http://www.city.uozu.toyama.jp/en/htrk/index.html)

• http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/fguide/annelida.html
• http://biology.fullerton.edu/courses/biol_403/Web/zoobookmarks.html
• http://www.imagequest3d.com/pages/current/pictureoftheweek/stomatopod/stomatopod.htm
• http://www.imagequest3d.com/catalogue/larvalforms/index.htm

• http://www.imagequest3d.com/stock/tearsheets/index.htm

Here are all the instructions you will need for growing temperate-tropical dinoflagellates in a lab (or at home) → http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/dinohome.html

from the 'interesting organism” section → http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/

• related topics:
  • bioIridescence (counter illumination)
  • morphology of bioluminescent tissues
  • cell to cell interactions: http://salmon.mbio.co.jp/mbi/english/shimizu/program/celltocell/celltocell.html
  • general interests in marine organisms: http://siobiolum.ucsd.edu/Res_interests.html
  • fungal cell biology group @ uni edinbougough: http://crinan.bch.ed.ac.uk/research/read/fungalcell/
  • gelatinous molluscs: http://fp.redshift.com/pelagia/molluscs.htm
  • microscopic organisms (images):
    • http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/bemf/microangela/
    • http://www.earthwindow.com/zoo.html