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Bioluminescence in Fungi

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Bioluminescence in Fungi

INTRODUCTION

What is Bioluminescence?

The current paper main focus is on bioluminescent Fungi but the basic features of bioluminescence discussed are common to all bioluminescent organisms.
Bioluminescence is simply light created by living organisms. Probably the most commonly known example of bioluminescence by North Americans is the firefly, which lights its abdomen during its mating season to communicate with potential mates. This bioluminescent ability occurs in 25 different phyla many of which are totally unrelated and diverse with the phylum Fungi included in this list
(an illustration of a bioluminescent fungi is displayed in figure 1). One of the features of biological light that distinguishes it from …show more content…

Luciferins and Luciferase differ chemically in different organisms but they all require molecular energy
(ATP) for the reaction. 2) The chemical energy in stage one excites a specific molecule (The Luminescent Molecule: the combining of Luciferase and Luciferin).
The excitement is caused by the increased energy level of the luminescent molecule. The result of this excitement is decay which is manifested in the form of photon emissions, which produces the light. The light given off does not depend on light or other energy taken in by the organism and is just the byproduct of the chemical reaction and is therefore cold light. The bioluminescence in fungi occurs intracellulary and has been noted at the spore level(Burr 1985, Newton 1952 and Herring 1978). This may at times be mistaken for a extracellular source of light but this is due to the diffusion of the light through the cells of the fungus. In examining the photograph in figure 1, it appear that the cap of the fungus is glowing but after study, it was observed that just the gill structures that emits the light and the cap
(which is thin) emits the light of the

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