Fireflies flashlight: Why do they glow?

 After sunset, as the evening descends, you will see fireflies flashlight glowing in the secluded darkness of the trees of Kolkata and the suburbs. Strangely, the game of magical light begins. At that time, under the stars in the sky, your ears can be heard silently, the call of crickets and your two eyes can be seen, the wonderful soft light of the fireflies. Your curious mind may ask a simple question: where does this fireflies flashlight come from? And how does the firefly create this beautiful light in her small body? Not only you, but this question also peek into everyone's mind.

Fireflies flashlight: Why do they glow?

Then let's know the secret of making fireflies flashlight. Let’s imagine, an electric bulb is on and we are getting light, in this condition you will feel very hot if you hold the bulb. Science estimates that 90 percent of the electrical energy is being converted into heat energy and only 10 percent into light energy. The bulb has become hot because of the light. In the same way, if so much heat was generated during the lighting of the firefly, the body of the firefly would be burned. So, definitely, there may be another way. Scientists have discovered that light is produced in the body of a firefly by the method of "Chemiluminescence". The firefly, an insect belonging to the beetle class, has special ‘photocytes’ or light-producing cells in the lower part of their body, where energy is generated by biochemical reactions. Fireflies use 100 percent of their energy to make light - they do not generate any heat. That

is why the light generated in the firefly's body is called 'Cold Light'. In addition to fireflies, some other insects emit beautiful lights and this natural phenomenon is called "Bioluminescence". Insects such as Click Beetle, Longhorn Beetle, etc., produce wonderful lights with different colors. However, fireflies are the most characteristic insects in their variety and light scattering.

Do you know, fireflies speak the language of light? Fireflies flashlight conveyed a very interesting message to continue their life-cycle. The male firefly radiates light and sends a special signal to the distant female firefly. Surprisingly, even though many species of fireflies emit light from the same place at the same time, only certain species of male and female fireflies can detect and mate with each other by recognizing the sign of their specific color and glowing pattern of light. Fireflies flashlight can be seen in different stages of their life cycle including, eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults.

The little fireflies are our friends. But, how? First of all, let me tell you, there are no toxic, harmful chemicals in their body. They do not sting us like bees and wasps. Unlike mosquitoes and other flies,

fireflies do not carry any germs in their body. Therefore, they are eco-friendly animals, so they do no harm to flowers, fruits, and crops. Rather the firefly helps in the pollination of flowers. In addition, firefly larvae eat snails and other parasitic insects. You may ask where fireflies live? They have a specific place to live. Fireflies are found in light, wet grasses of the forest floor and the grasses growing along with clear water bodies. When forests are destroyed by human activities and pollution, the number of fireflies decreases dramatically. That is why fireflies are called "Pollution Indicators" as they always live in pollution-free, cool, and wet environments.

The contribution of the little firefly in biochemical research and medicine is outstanding. Two important chemicals called ‘luciferin’ and ‘luciferase’ are found in the body of fireflies. In their body, these two biochemical substances produce light in a specific chemical reaction in the presence of oxygen. Fireflies flashlight glows in a repetitive manner as they continue the respiration by taking oxygen from the environment. You know, Luciferase is widely used to diagnose diseases caused by various viruses and bacteria. Moreover, Luciferase is currently being used in various treatments for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. So the people of the modern world are especially indebted to the fireflies for their immense contribution to medical science. So, loving this small, beautiful, innocent insect, letting it live

like them, will keep our environment safe and beautiful. You will see every evening; the shimmering firefly will come down to earth in the light of the fairy tale.

Dr. Shuvomoy Banerjee, PhD

Former Asst. Professor (Amity University, Delhi)

via GIFER