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Summary
Summary
What do giant squids, mantis shrimp, and fireflies have in common? These animals, along with a wide range of creatures, are able to give off light; this is called bioluminescence. Different species use different chemistries to bioluminesce, and they produce their light for a variety of reasons, including communication, hunting, and self-defense. Bioluminescence is a unique and fascinating adaptation found in the animal kingdom. Surprisingly, about half of all known phyla (a classification for animals that share the same body type) contain some bioluminescent species.
Scientists don't yet understand all facets of bioluminescence, but they have managed to harness the glow and use it in a myriad of ways. One of the most important applications involves using bioluminescence as a microscope in medical studies. For example, laboratory scientists can create fluorescent malaria parasites to track the path by which the disease is spread from a mosquito to the animal it bites. Bioluminescent proteins are also helping researchers learn more about cancer, HIV and other viruses, and complex neurological processes. In fact, bioluminescent proteins are so useful to twenty-first-century medicine that two groups of scientists, one in 2008 and the other in 2014, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work with these proteins and related technologies. Even artists and fashion designers use bioluminescence in their work to create glowing, light-sensitive paintings and clothing lines. Author Marc Zimmer, a world-renowned specialist in fluorescent proteins, takes readers on a glowing journey into the frontiers of bioluminescence.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up-On pages that alternate between black and lime green, Zimmer takes readers into the world of bioluminescence, or the production and emission of light by living creatures. After providing a brief explanation of how 19th-century physiologist Raphaël Dubois discovered that bioluminescence is a product of the enzyme luciferase and the molecule luciferin, Zimmer presents many fascinating examples of animals making use of this ability. The bristlemouth fish uses light-emitting organs on its head and stomach to blend in with water, deep-sea shrimp vomit luminescent slime as a defense mechanism, and dragonfish produce red lights under their eyes to find prey that are unable to perceive the color red. An entire chapter dedicated to fireflies, which flash lights in order to find a mate, focuses on the communication between males and females, as well as how females use bioluminescence to attract-and then eat-males of other species. A chapter on biofluorescence, the capability of some fish to absorb light and immediately give it off as a lower energy green or red light, is also included. Perhaps most intriguing of all is the description of the ways in which fluorescent proteins are used to study diseases such as parasitic illnesses, bird flu, and malaria. Words included in the text aren't highlighted or italicized to indicate which are defined in the glossary. However, there is ample back matter. VERDICT Featuring top-notch photos, this succinct presentation of a complex topic will make a stimulating addition to most science collections.-Meaghan Darling, Long Hill Township Public Library, Gillette, NJ © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
The fascinating ability of some organisms to produce their own light is examined in depth. Zimmer offers bland explanations of the biochemistry, the ways in which animals and bacteria use self-generated light, and the latest uses of technologies such as biofluorescent markers. Profiles of scientists, historical and modern, are included, along with numerous color photographs and diagrams. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The cold light of living creatures from fireflies to deep-sea fishes has provided science with new tools to track body processes and the progress of disease. Beginning with a general explanation of luminescence in animals and the discovery of the chemicals luciferase and luciferin that animals use to give off light, researcher Zimmer goes on to introduce some of the animals that use the light they produce to find prey, communicate, and defend themselves. There's a whole chapter on fireflies as "model organisms" frequently studied as representative of bioluminescent creatures. After a chapter on the use of bioluminescent chemicals in science, the author goes on to consider biofluorescence: the emission of received light at a lower-energy color. Mantis shrimp and crystal jellyfish are the example animals here. The green fluorescent protein genes that make biofluorescence possible can be transferred into other organisms for a wide variety of scientific and medical uses. The author is a working and teaching scientist; his explanations are complex but clear enough for an interested student. Boxed information on related topics and interesting examples appear throughout the text, along with plentiful illustrations, mostly photographs. A comprehensive introduction to biofluorescence and bioluminescence by an expert in the field. (Nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Bioluminescent creatures, which create their own light, live mainly in areas of oceans too deep for natural light. In this insightful book, Zimmer begins by introducing a few individual species and the history of people observing, studying, and writing about them. After a discussion of fireflies, the focus turns to the uses of bioluminescence and biofluorescence in studies, particularly those in which fluorescent proteins are inserted into cells by scientists. This technique, which enables them to observe processes such as how malaria parasites enter the bloodstream of a human host, has many applications in research on diseases such as flu, dengue fever, and cancer. Informative sidebars and captioned color photos appear throughout the book. There's a good deal to admire in this intriguing title. Bioluminescence evokes a sense of wonder in anyone who has caught a lightning bug or seen a greenish glow in ocean waves at night, yet little information on the topic is available for young people. A chemist, researcher, and college professor, Zimmer knows the field of luminescence as only an involved scientist could. Put simply, he clearly explains what's happening in the field and why it matters. A fascinating look at bioluminescence and its unexpected applications.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist