luciferin

1 9.9

A chemical in glowing animals like fireflies that makes light without heat

noun
/luːˈsɪfərɪn/

Specialized

: luciferina

Fireflies glow brightly because of a pigment called luciferin that emits light during a chemical reaction.
luciferin and luciferase

Examples

Scientists studied how luciferin interacts with enzymes to create the captivating glow of deep-sea creatures.
So the assays and a lot of biological work is based on the luciferin luciferase reaction.
"Luciferin is what they call that chemical that makes lightning bugs light up."

Fiction book (1995)
Did he say something about bioluminescence using luciferin and luciferase?

Academic text (2008)
Synthetic luciferin has long been available, and the firefly luciferase gene has been cloned.

Academic text (2003)
In the firefly lantern, thousands of specialized cells called photocytes sequester luciferin and luciferase deep within their interiors.

Academic text (2003)
These transgenic mice had a special luciferase gene attached to their DNA that, when exposed to luciferin, would emit light (compliments of our favorite summer insect, the firefly).

Academic text (2008)
The process of bioluminescence in certain organisms relies on luciferin to produce light.

Surface Forms

luciferin singular

luciferins plural

Morphology

luciferin = lucifer (opaque) = lucifer + in

The connection between 'lucifer' and the pigment in luminescent organisms is not transparent to learners.

Etymology

The word luciferin comes from the Latin word lucifer, which means 'light-bringer' and contains the small root luc- meaning 'light', like in lucid. That's why luciferin is the molecule that brings light in fireflies and other glowing animals.