Bioluminescense

Bioluminescense: Translated from the original Greek, 'Living Light', the fundamental idea of these lights are a visible result of a chemical reaction within a living organism that presents a light due to the electrical charge. Most times, animals (or organisms) that show bioluminescense do so in reaction to the darkness of their habitat; i.e. Deep water marine life, nocturnal insects, etc. However, in nature there are a few other causes for this adaptation such as camouflage, attraction, repulsion, communication or illumination.

Although bioluminescent life is most prevalent in animal life it also exists in both bacteria and fungi species. Bio-engineers have been trying to apply the characteristics of 'living light' into the commercial world in order to form an environmentally useful solution for self sustaining light. Some of the applications that are proposed for research are glowing trees to mark roadways, indicators for agricultural crops, identifiers for bacteria in foods, bio-identifiers for convicts and mental health patents and novelty pets. Although the adaptation of bioluminescense in nature may have been extremely selective, it seems that there is more use for it to suite human lifestyle.