Luminescent Bacteria
Why do the bacteria emit light?
Why the bacteria emit light is not easy to be answered. Light emission depends on the presence of oxygen. Furthermore, the bacteria stimulate each other to emit light by means of signal compounds (pheromones). It is easy to understand that fish that carry luminescent bacteria in their light-emitting organs profit by this phenomenon. Maybe that free-living luminescent bacteria are grazed preferentially, and thus come into the digestion system of their predators. There they could thrive until they are released on fecal pellets again.
Literature
-
Bukatsch F (1968) Anreicherung und Isolierung mariner Leuchtbakterien. Zbl. Bakt., I. Abtlg., Suppl. Heft 1:399-406
Pictures
-
Heribert Cypionka (1-4), Heike Oetting (5), Photostelle Universität Oldenburg (6)
|
|
