What's inside a firefly
But the answer to the lightning bug's light all happens in the same organ in its abdomen: the lantern
These light cells are encased in a translucent exoskeleton, and hold two key components to bioluminescence: luciferin and luciferase.
But while the firefly may have evolved its lantern as a form of protection, today the lightning bugs use their light as a species-specific mating ritual. Here's what really happens inside the firefly's lantern.
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Following is a transcript of the video.
Narrator: There are over 2,000 individual firefly species, all within the taxonomic family of Lampyridae, which is pretty easy to remember. And these lightning bugs with their flickering light shows make summer nights feel all the more magical and romantic. But how did fireflies manage to catch lightning in a bottle? The answer is found in the bug's butt, or more specifically in its abdomen, in an organ called the lantern. This organ is a set of specialized light cells, all encased in a translucent exoskeleton. And those light cells are where the magic happens: the phenomenon of bioluminescence, when a chemical reaction in a living thing emits light. Fireflies aren't the only creatures that have this power. Glowworms and certain deep-sea fish species are some of the creatures capable of producing and emitting light. But the firefly is probably the Earth's most famous bioluminescent species. So what's happening inside the firefly's light cells? What's the secret to its glow?
In the 19th century, French pharmacologist Rapha l Dubois, working with bioluminescent clams, discovered that there are two essential components to these creatures' light show. He named them luciferin and luciferase, based on the Latin term lucifer, for "light-bringer." Luciferin is the compound that generates light, and luciferase is the enzyme that acts on it. Today, we know that the firefly's bioluminescent reaction plays out like this. A firefly diverts oxygen to its light cells through its tracheoles. And those oxygen molecules react to luciferin, catalyzed with the help of luciferase and energy in the form of ATP. The luciferin then becomes agitated and excited, elevating its energy level. And when the excited luciferin drops back to its normal state, it releases that energy in the form of light, creating the "fire" in fireflies. It's a remarkable phenomenon that's also remarkably efficient. In a light bulb, 90 of the energy consumed is given off as heat, with only the remaining energy, a mere 10 , given off as visible light. In a firefly, on the other hand, nearly 100 of the energy is given off as light. That luminescence, or "cold light," as it's also called, is produced in the light cells and then focused by a layer of reflector cells, which direct that beam outward through that translucent exoskeleton.See the rest of the story at Business InsiderSee Also:Here's what happens when two hurricanes collideHow this tiny beetle could help solve our water crisisMore than 300 people live year-round in Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth. Here's what it's like.
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