Bioluminescence is defined as the emission of light by a living organism. A chemical reaction takes place inside the animal between luciferin, a naturally occurring enzyme in bioluminescent animals, and oxygen. When this chemical reaction takes place, the organism creates and emits light. Bioluminescence generally produces “cold light” which means that less than 20% of the light produced from bioluminescent animals generates thermal radiation. Therefore, usually the organism doesn’t feel hot to the touch.
However, in this situation, it is clear that the hypothetical bug is not efficient or good at the fundamentals of bioluminescence. Since it is producing heat in addition to light, it can be assumed that it is not producing as much light as is normal in bioluminescence. Light from bioluminescence has many functions such as attracting a mate, repelling prey, or confusing predators, and this bug would not be well equipped to do these things. A bug like this probably wouldn’t exist because, due to natural selection, there are other bugs better at bioluminescence who would be “selected” over this one.
Combustion is defined as a series of exothermic chemical reactions between a substance and oxygen resulting in heat and light. However, it is very implausible that the bug in question would reach the temperatures necessary for combustion to occur. The bioluminescence would have to make the bug approximately 200ยบ Celsius for combustion to occur, which most likely wouldn’t happen.
Therefore, although this bug is inefficient at bioluminescence because it produces a little light and a lot of heat, it would not combust unless it reached very high temperatures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioluminescence
2 comments:
I totally agree with you. If the insect couldent properly preform Biolumanseence like we're assuming it cant, it would probably die off quickly anyway.Thhe only thing i disagree with is the statement that the bug would never exist in the first place. Any species could have a mutation allowing this to happen. Natural selection takes place when this insect is killed before it can reproduce.
I disagree with you. You say the bug is inefficient because it produces bioluminescence and little heat, however bioluminescence helps animals in a variety of ways. It helps them attract prey or even escape from predators. It also helps them see in the dark.
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