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Nature's Bioluminescence %DUCATOR´S 'UIDE creatures of LIGHT nature’s bioluminescence Inside: tSuggestions to Help You $0.&13&1"3&% &44&/5*"-26&45*0/4 for Student Inquiry HigViZ\^Zh[dg5&"$)*/(*/5)&&9)*#*5*0/ ."1 of the Exhibition 0/-*/&3&4063$&4[dgi]Z8aVhhgddb 8dggZaVi^dcid45"/%"3%4 (-044"3: Vbc]#dg\$ZYjXVi^dc$XgZVijgZhdÅ^\]i Questions Travel from a warm summer meadow to the deep sea to explore the phenomenon of bioluminescence: living things that “glow,” or emit light. What kinds of organisms are bioluminescent? Where are they found? What are some possible functions of the ability to glow? JhZi]Z:hhZci^VaFjZhi^dchWZadlidXdccZXii]ZZm]^W^i^dc¼hi]ZbZhidndjgXjgg^Xjajb# What is bioluminescence? range from marine bacteria and other eaVc`idc, to corals, sea slugs, crustaceans, octopuses, and fishes. There are also biolu- 7^dajb^cZhXZcXZ is a chemical reaction that takes place in an minescent fungi, worms, and insects, but no bioluminescent organism and produces detectable light. These organisms use flowering plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or mammals. a variety of body parts to emit light in different colors and for different purposes. This chemical process is different from ÅjdgZhXZcXZ, another process that can cause things to emit Where are bioluminescent organisms light. In a few organisms, bioluminescence and fluorescence found? both occur. Eighty percent of all bioluminescent groups live in the world’s oceans, from the shallows to the deep sea floor. Some organisms that live near the surface, like flashlight fish and single-celled Y^cdÅV\ZaaViZh, have evolved to use their biolumi- nescence at night. In the deep sea nearly all the organisms glow, an VYVeiVi^dc for living in perpetual dark. Less frequently, bioluminescence also occurs on land, ranging from fireflies flashing in the grass to mushrooms in dark woods and glowworms shimmering in caves. How do organisms use bioluminescence AZ[i/I]ZhZW^dajb^cZhXZcibjh]gddbh\gdldcYZXVn^c\lddY^cCdgi]6bZg^XVc to survive in their environment? [dgZhih#G^\]i/I]ZhZXdgVahVgZÅjdgZhXZci/i]Zn\adll]ZcWajZdgk^daZia^\]i h]^cZhdci]Zb# Scientists have observed organisms using bioluminescence in many different ways. These include self-defense, illuminating or luring prey, camouflage, and attracting mates. For example, How does bioluminescence work? the vampire squid squirts out a cloud of bioluminescent fluid This X]Zb^XVagZVXi^dc requires at least three ingredients. that may confuse predators. Glowing spots on the “shoulders” An enzyme known as luciferase acts upon an organic molecule of the click beetle give the impression of a much larger animal called luciferin in the presence of oxygen. The reaction produces crawling at night. Some species of fireflies communicate with a molecule called oxyluciferin, and energy. The energy takes the flash patterns to signal their availability and attract potential form of photons, units of light. mates. Dinoflagellates light up when disturbed, perhaps to Some bioluminescent organisms produce their own light, either startle predators — or to attract animals that may eat their making all of the ingredients themselves or making everything attackers. Rows of light organs on the undersides of the hatchet but luciferin, which they take in through their diet. Other biolu- fish help it blend with light from above, making it barely visible minescent organisms, such as the flashlight fish, do not produce to a predator looking up from below. The aVgkVZ of fungus gnats their own light. Instead, they have a hnbW^di^X relationship with glow to attract insects to their sticky “fishing lines,” while biolo- bioluminescent bacteria that live inside their bodies. gists think that the deep-sea stoplight loosejaw fish uses its red light (a color invisible to most deep-sea organisms) to illuminate its prey. While we know a lot about how bioluminescence works What organisms are bioluminescent? and how organisms use it, we have a lot more to learn. Many An astounding variety of creatures make their own light, and intriguing bioluminescent organisms await discovery as we bioluminescence has evolved independently in organisms as explore Earth’s final frontier, the YZZehZV. different as mushrooms and sharks. In fact, this trait has evolved at least fifty times on the Tree of Life! Bioluminescent organisms GLOSSARY COME PREPARED VYVeiVi^dc/ a physical or behavioral characteristic EaVcndjgk^h^i#For information about reservations, transportation, and that allows organisms to better survive in a lunchrooms, visit amnh.org/education/plan. particular environment GZVYi]Z:hhZci^VaFjZhi^dch in this guide to see how themes in W^dajb^cZhXZcXZ/ a chemical reaction in Creatures of Light connect to your curriculum. Identify the key points organisms that produces detectable light that you’d like your students to learn from the exhibition. X]Zb^XVagZVXi^dc/ a process that occurs when GZk^Zli]ZIZVX]^c\^ci]Z:m]^W^i^dchZXi^dc of this guide for an two or more molecules interact, creating a advance look at the models, specimens, and interactives that you and substance that wasn’t there before your class will be encountering. YZZehZV/ the ocean depths, typically below 9dlcadVYVXi^k^i^ZhVcYhijYZcildg`h]ZZih at amnh.org/resources/ 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), where little or no light rfl/pdf/creaturesoflight_activities.pdf. Designed for use before, during, penetrates. Largely unexplored, the deep sea and after your visit, these activities focus on themes that correlate to actually contains most of the habitable space the New York State Science Core Curriculum. on Earth. 9ZX^YZ]dlndjghijYZcihl^aaZmeadgZ the Creatures of Light Y^cdÅV\ZaaViZ/ single-celled animals, many of exhibition. Suggestions include: which photosynthesize NdjVcYndjgX]VeZgdcZhXVc[VX^a^iViZi]Zk^h^ijh^c\i]Z IZVX]^c\^ci]Z:m]^W^i^dc section of this guide. ÅjdgZhXZcXZ/ a process in which light of shorter wavelength is absorbed and re-emitted as longer- NdjghijYZcihXVcjhZi]ZhijYZcildg`h]ZZih to explore the wavelength light that changes color, such as from exhibition on their own or in small groups. blue to red. Many organisms fluoresce, including HijYZcih!^cY^k^YjVaandg^c\gdjeh!XVcjhZXde^Zhd[i]Z corals, sea anemones, and fish. bVe to choose their own paths. aVgkV/ the newly hatched, often wormlike form of many organisms before they metamorphose into adults CORRELATIONS TO light: electromagnetic radiation. Visible light NATIONAL STANDARDS makes up a small fraction of the electromagnetic Your visit to the Creatures of Light exhibition can be correlated to spectrum. the national standards below. Visit amnh.org/resources/rfl/pdf/ creaturesoflight_standards.pdf for a full listing of New York e]dhe]dgZhXZcXZ/ a process in which light State standards. absorbed from one source is re-emitted very slowly, so that the glow persists even after the original science education standards source has gone dark. Naturally occurring minerals 6aa<gVYZh6'/JcYZghiVcY^c\VWdjihX^Zci^ÃX^cfj^gn:'/JcYZghiVcY- and manmade objects like glow-in-the-dark stickers ^c\VWdjihX^ZcXZVcYiZX]cdad\n<&/HX^ZcXZVhV]jbVcZcYZVkdg phosphoresce, but no living things do. K–47(/A^\]i!]ZVi!ZaZXig^X^in!VcYbV\cZi^hb8&/I]Z8]VgVXiZg^hi^Xh eaVc`idc/ tiny organisms (plants, animals, archaea, d[Dg\Vc^hbh8(/Dg\Vc^hbhVcYZck^gdcbZcih and bacteria) that drift in water 5–87(/IgVch[Zgd[ZcZg\n8&/HigjXijgZVcY[jcXi^dc^ca^k^c\hnhiZbh hnbW^dh^h/ prolonged interaction between two 8(/GZ\jaVi^dcVcYWZ]Vk^dg8*/Y^kZgh^inVcYVYVeiVi^dchd[ different organisms that typically benefits both dg\Vc^hbh<'/CVijgZd[hX^ZcXZ species 9–127(/8]Zb^XVagZVXi^dch7+/>ciZgVXi^dchd[ZcZg\nVcYbViiZg Tree of Life: a branching diagram that shows how 8&/I]ZXZaa8)/>ciZgYZeZcYZcXZd[dg\Vc^hbh8+/7Z]Vk^dgd[ all forms of life, both living and extinct, are related organisms Teaching in the This exhibition uses immersive environments, models, specimens, videos, and hands-on and computer interactives to investigate the phenomenon of prepare for darkness bioluminescence. It moves from terrestrial environments into the marine The exhibition space will be dim, the environments where most bioluminescent organisms are found. Sparkling Sea and Deep Ocean sections in particular. Although there will be I]Z<j^YZY:meadgVi^dchWZadlVgZYZh^\cZYVgdjcYi]Zi]ZbZd[dWhZgkVi^dc# ambient light, we recommend reading Students will explore what these organisms have in common — they all “glow,” this guide in advance so that you can or emit light — and also observe that different phenomena are at work. guide students in the exhibition. Most are bioluminescent (make their own light), but some are fluorescent (absorb and re-emit light) and a few are both. LAND 7^dajb^cZhXZcXZ^hgVgZdcaVcY, which makes it seem even 3. A Mysterious Cave: Glowworms more surprising when we do come across it. Scientists are just overview: On the ceiling of New Zealand’s Waitomo Cave, beginning to delve into the mystery of why these unusual glowworms secrete threads studded with adhesive droplets that terrestrial organisms glow. reflect light from their bioluminescent tails. These tails glow brighter when the animals are hungry. When aquatic insects from 1. Woods: Mushrooms the stream below fly toward the light, they become tangled in overview: In the forests of eastern North America, these lines. The glowworms then reel in their catch. bioluminescent mushrooms grow on decaying wood. guided explorations: guided exploration: <adlldgb8VkZBdYZa/ Have students take turns peering BdYZahd[Bjh]gddbHeZX^Zh/ Point out to students that very into the cave and describing both the light and the place where few land organisms glow. Ask students to note what part of each it occurs. (Descriptions may include: the ceiling of the cave is speckled mushroom is glowing, and what color light it emits. with greenish-blue lights; the cave is dark and rocky; the bottom is wet.). Tell students that glowworms aren’t worms at all (they’re 2. A Summer’s Night: Fire!ies the larvae of small flies), and that one larva can produce more overview: In a grassy clearing in eastern North America, than forty adhesive lures.
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