Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism as the result of a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy. The name originates from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence may be generated by symbiotic organisms carried within a larger organism. It is generated by an enzyme-catalyzed chemoluminescence reaction, wherein a luciferin (a kind of pigment) is oxidised by a luciferase (a kind of enzyme). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is involved in most instances. The chemical reaction can be either external to cells, or an intracellular process. The expression of genes related to bioluminescence in bacteria is controlled by an operon called lux operon.

Related Topics:
Light - Organism - Greek - Latin - Symbiotic - Chemoluminescence - Luciferin - Pigment - Oxidised - Luciferase - Enzyme - Adenosine triphosphate - Gene - Bacteria - Operon - Lux operon

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