4 LIGHT MAKERS From fireworks to light sticks we love things that shine in the dark So does nature Did you know that hundreds of living organisms can glow These plants and animals turn the chemical energy stored in their tissues into light This is called bioluminescence pronounced bye-oh-loo-muh-nes uhns The light they create is a very efficient light or cold Comb jellies which are actually a type of plankton make bright pulses of light when they are disturbed
5 light This means that bioluminescent organisms produce mostly light and almost no heat A regular incandescent light bulb makes more heat than light Some organisms that glow use biofluorescence pronounced bye-oh-floo-res uhns These organisms absorb light from another source such as the Sun and then reemit that light as a different color Usually these creatures glow green or red Scien tists are studying ways to use fluorescence in science and medicine Whether they are bioluminescent or use biofluores cence organisms that glow in the dark are fascinating to see Organisms are living things made of one or more cells that are able to grow and reproduce VOCABULARY In normal light this deep-sea coral doesn’t look unusual But under a special light filter it fluoresces green
