How Fireflys Make Their Cool Light

[katsisco]

Moderation note: the first post of this thread was moved from the Physics and Mathematics thread Higgs Boson, because it has nothing to do with physics, math, or the Higgs boson

 

Discussion of the Higgs is too esoteric for me. Did you know that in the Sunday Chicago Trib magazine is an article about how fireflys make their cool light? It is the first exact depiction of how I have seen. It seems like only yesterday that we were still experimenting with exactly how. I am sure I do not have this correct but ATP is necessary. This and another combine with Luciferin (enzyme) which when exposed to oxygen changes into an acid and something else and separates from the Luciferin and makes --you guessed it---light. Remember how we were all told that this could be a new safe form of energy when we solved the mechanics? I do.

Nitric acid is involved because the nitric acid when released stops the oxygen from being absorbed which I thought was strange because didn't the problem with blood transfusions (only last year) were discovered to be alack of nitric acid because it disappeared from the stored blood within hours. The problem was solved by infusion the blood with nitric acid right before transfusion. Why? because the nitric acid is necessary for the cells to absorb the oxygenated blood delivered by the veins. I am thinking, did I read that right? Necessary for us to absorb oxygen but necessary in the firefly to turn off the oxygen?