It gives me pleasure to acknowledge the kindness of Dr. W. E. Forsythe of the Nela Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, in reading and criticizing the manuscript of [Chapter III], and of Professor Lyman of Harvard University for a similar review of [Chapter II]. I am also deeply indebted to my wife for reading the proof and to Dr. Jacques Loeb and Prof. W. J. V. Osterhout for many suggestions throughout the book. My thanks are also due to Prof. C. Ishikawa of the Agricultural College, Imperial University of Tokio, Japan, for his generous assistance in providing Cypridina material. Finally I wish to acknowledge the support of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, through its director of Marine Biology, Dr. Alfred G. Mayor. Without this support much of the work described in this book could not have been accomplished.
E. N. H.
Princeton, N. J.,
October, 1919.
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | Light-Producing Organisms | [1] |
| Early records and theories. "Shining fish and flesh." "Burningof the sea." Distribution of luminous organisms in plantand animal kingdoms. Secondary luminosity. False luminosity.St. Elmo's fire. Ignis fatuus. Flashing of flowers.Luminosity in man. Use to man of photogenic organisms. | ||
| II. | Luminescence and Incandescence | [20] |
| The complete spectrum. Radiation and temperature. "Coldlight." Thermoluminescence. Phosphorescence and fluorescence.Triboluminescence and piezoluminescence. Crystalloluminescence.Chemiluminescence. | ||
| III. | Physical Nature of Animal Light | [40] |
| Purkinje phenomenon. Color and spectra of animal light.Polarization. Efficiency of animal light. Infra-red radiation.Ultra-violet radiation. Luminous efficiency and visual sensibility.Production of radiation penetrating opaque objects.Intensity of animal light. Summary. | ||
| IV. | Structure of Luminous Organs | [67] |
| Photochemical and chemiphotic changes. The eye and theluminous organ. Intracellular and extracellular luminescence.Continuous and intermittent luminescence. Periodicity ofluminescence. Luminous bacteria. Noctiluca and photogenicgranules. Chætopterus and luminous gland cells. Cypridina.Luminous glands. The firefly. Luminous organs (photophores)with lenses, reflectors, opaque and color screens. Uses andpurpose of animal light. | ||
| V. | The Chemistry of Light Production, Part I | [85] |
| Boyle's and Spallanzani's experiments. Shining wood and burningcoal. Oxygen and luminescence. Carbon dioxide andluminescence. Heat production during luminescence. Luminescenceand respiration. Water and luminescence. Phipson'snoctilucin. Luciferin and luciferase. Photogenin and photophelein.Proluciferin. Oxyluciferin. Pyrophorin or luciferescein.Chemiluminescent reactions. "Biozymoöxyluminescence." | ||
| VI. | The Chemistry of Light Production, Part II | [114] |
| Pyrophorus luciferin and luciferase. Pholas luciferin and luciferase.Cypridina luciferin; stability, hydrolysis by acid andenzymes, adsorption, precipitation, salting out, solubility, distribution.Cypridina luciferin a proteose? Cypridina luciferaseand properties. Cypridina luciferase an albumin.Specificity of luciferase. Action of fat solvent anæsthetics.Action of cyanides. Oxyluciferin. Nature of oxidative reaction. | ||
| VII. | Dynamics of Luminescence | [143] |
| Minute amounts of material for luminescence. Reaction velocityand chemiluminescence. Temperature and chemiluminescence.Oxidation in steps. Concentration and bioluminescence. Temperatureand bioluminescence. Oxidation with and withoutluciferase. Reaction velocity and color of bioluminescence. | ||
THE NATURE OF ANIMAL LIGHT