Bioluminescence – Part 8

This month we turn our attention from deep sea creatures to the crawly world of arthropods, specifically the bioluminescent millipede. As you can see to the right, this organism uses a special protein to produce a beautiful bluish glow right through its crusty outer layer. The neon-like light can be bright enough to read by. It seems that these poisonous bugs live only in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. Why do they glow? Well, it certainly isn’t for their own benefit. If you watch a crawling millipede you will see it constantly taping the ground in front as it moves along, kind of like a blind person with a cane. Scientists have discovered that the blind millipedes with the brightest glow also contained the most cyanide poison in their bodies. So, it seems that the glow is a warning to predators. All that glows is certainly not good. The Bible reminds that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14).

Posted on December 2, 2020 by dwoetzel.

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