Word: luciferin
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...final step was to irrigate the plants with a solution containing luciferin, another substance found in fireflies, which must combine with luciferase, oxygen and adenosine triphosphate, a substance found in all cells, to produce the familiar luminescence. The plant's well-being is unaffected by the glow, which can be seen only with sensitive video equipment, photographic time exposures or eyes that have become accustomed to the dark...
When Dr. Strehler finally gets his fireflies collected, they will not be allowed to sparkle for long. He intends to detach their luminous posteriors and extract from them luciferin-a substance which fascinates many scientists...
...Luciferin (an enzyme or organic catalyst) is responsible for the firefly's strange cold, yellow-green light. Not much is known about its complex chemistry but Dr. Strehler points out an extraordinary fact. The light that comes from luciferin has been analyzed spectroscopically and turns out to be very similar to the fluorescent glow given off by riboflavin (vitamin B2) when it is irradiated with invisible ultraviolet...
Riboflavin, in turn, is believed to be vitally mixed up with the absorption of light by both plants and animals. It is present in the retinas of human and animal eyes and often in parts of growing plants that turn toward light. Luciferin may bear a relationship to the generation of light similar to the relationship that riboflavin bears to the absorption of light. If this is proved to be true, biochemistry will have made a long step toward understanding life itself, since life's basic energy comes from light...
Emission of light by living things is a chemical reaction requiring oxygen. Many luminescent creatures secrete an easily oxidizable compound, luciferin, which is oxidized with the help of an enzyme, luciferase. The exact chemical nature of luciferin and luciferase varies from species to species-firefly luciferin, for example, is no good when mixed with luciferase from worms. The reaction may occur in special gland cells, or the animal may eject luminous material. Some deep-sea squid throw off luminous puffs to confuse attackers, but this dodge is not always effective...