Fireflies are insects that stand out from the rest for their characteristic brightness that makes them shine even more when night falls. They then fly around their habitat with great momentum back and forth with their bodies ablaze with brilliant colors. A visual poetry worth watching that loses us in the mysticism of nature. Although once the shock caused by its great beauty is recovered, curiosity begins to arise; why do fireflies glow?
Fireflies
Fireflies are thought to be a world apart from known species of insects, although this is not entirely true. actually fireflies they are a kind of beetle, although of course they are nocturnal and have the great peculiarity of generating light with their tiny bodies. They belong to the lampyrid family, which includes other insects that are equally bioluminescent, such as glow worms, fire flames, and other species.
There are about a two thousand species in total of fireflies in the worldAlthough many of them are in danger of extinction. They live in warm and temperate regions, as well as they love humidity, which is why they can be found in swampy areas of the American and Asian continents.
For years, various efforts have been made to protect fireflies that are currently in danger of extinction. They face a triple threat that has put their existence at risk. The loss of their natural habitat, coupled with the use of pesticides and artificial light created by man, are killing off these beautiful insects.
Why do fireflies glow?
This question has been asked by dozens of natural researchers and they have managed to decipher the components that make them fluoresce with such impetus. An explosive box, albeit tiny, of various components that generate chemical reactions lives inside the abdomen of fireflies. Oxygen, calcium, magnesium, and a natural chemical called the enzyme luciferasecongregate inside the bodies of these small insects and allow them to glow in the dark.
Although the exact process by which fireflies are capable of producing light has been in doubt. Previously it was thought that the luciferase enzyme produced bioluminescence in fireflies by catalyzing the oxidation of a protein called luciferina fluorescent molecule that, when oxidized, emits light.
apples and oranges
New research suggests the process may not be that simple. Bruce Branchini of Connecticut College has a new idea about how firefly light is generated. The process is quite complex, but he offers a simple version to understand it quickly. According to Branchini, apples tend to produce chemical reactions only with other apples. And oranges chemically react only with other oranges.
Using the analogy, luciferin and oxygen would be like apples and oranges, so it can’t be explained quite simply that the luciferin protein reacts with oxygen to achieve oxidation. On the other hand, Branchini’s experiments suggest that the oxygen inside the abdomen of fireflies, has a special form called superoxide anion. This is a form of oxygen that contains an extra electron and it is this extra electron that gives oxygen its apple and orange properties, metaphorically explained.
Only in this way could the chemical reaction that takes place inside fireflies and why they glow in the dark be explained. Characteristic that, by the way, is essential in the reproductive life of fireflies, thanks to the synchronized glow and the dance they perform in the dark, is that they are able to find a partner to reproduce and guarantee their survival. Hence, artificial light is a danger that interferes with their bioluminescent language and endangers their existence.
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