Contact: Lily Whiteman
lwhitema@nsf.gov
703-292-8310
National Science Foundation

A Proposed Mechanism for Bioluminescence in Dinoflagellates

Caption: When a dinoflagellate is mechanically agitated, an electrical impulse travels around its vacuole membrane. This impulse opens up proton channels that allow protons to flow from the vacuole into the scintillons, where they activate light-emitting luciferase proteins. The result: A flash of light.

Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation

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