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Nature Photonics 2, 8–9 (1 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.259
Bioluminescence: Fireflies revisited
Abstract
A re-examination of firefly bioluminescence has revealed that the efficiency of light generation in fireflies is actually less than half the widely accepted value. The study also casts doubts over the mechanism that determines the colour of the emission. Firefly bioluminescence — a chemical reaction that produces the enchanting light that these insects are famous for — is useful not only for biological research but also in photonics, where it serves as an ideal model of a photo-emitter system.
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