Luminescence is Not Free

From: ted.held at us.henkel.com on 2006.09.27 at 13:13:39(14670) Keep in mind that there will be an energy penalty for any plant (or animal) that emits light. The normal plant uses its energy to produce the necessary items for ordinary life: structures, DNA, sugars and starches to keep the home fires burning in lean times, flowers and seeds, etc. If you create an organism that has to scramble around to find the resources to also produce the cellular ingredients for luminescence, that plant will be at an energy disadvantage compared with those that do not have this extra burden. It is like a business environment where only one business pays taxes. Unless luminescence conveys some reproductive advantage (and that seems very doubtful for a plant), it will put such plants first in line for Darwinian extinction. In fireflies, bioluminescence conveys such reproductive advantage. Of course, human fancy provides a certain Darwinian advantage if we go to the trouble of culturing such forms. But in the wild? Slim chance. +More Ted_______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Hermine hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 2006.09.27 at 17:09:40(14675) At 06:13 AM 9/27/2006, you wrote: Keep in mind that there will be an energy penalty for any plant (or animal) that emits light. The normal plant uses its energy to produce the necessary items for ordinary life: structures, DNA, sugars and starches to keep the home fires burning in lean times, flowers and seeds, etc. If you create an organism that has to scramble around to find the resources to also produce the cellular ingredients for luminescence, that plant will be at an energy disadvantage compared with those that do not have this extra burden. It is like a business environment where only one business pays taxes. Unless luminescence conveys some reproductive advantage (and that seems very doubtful for a plant), it will put such plants first in line for Darwinian extinction. In fireflies, bioluminescence conveys such reproductive advantage. Of course, human fancy provides a certain Darwinian advantage if we go to the trouble of culturing such forms. But in the wild? Slim chance. Ted well this sounds true and should provide a measure of relief for folks who worry about the luminescent monstrosities taking over the world and throttling the life out of the other plants. Of course the OTHER plants could practice photosynthesis after sundown, utilizing the light of the bioluminescent plants, and establish a symbiotic relationship. possibly fireflies and algae could participate in the whole life cycle. hermine +More _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "mossytrail" mossytrail at hctc.com> on 2006.09.29 at 02:16:33(14698) > well this sounds true and should provide a measure of > relief for folks who worry about the luminescent > monstrosities taking over the world and throttling the > life out of the other plants. Of course the OTHER plants > could practice photosynthesis after sundown, utilizing > the light of the bioluminescent plants, and establish a > symbiotic relationship. possibly fireflies and algae > could participate in the whole life cycle. > Or... you may have heard of those orchids in Britain with flowers that mimic female bees, thus deceptively luring in drone bees as pollinators? Well, suppose the bioluminescence in our hypothetical plant was confined to the flowers, which bloom at night; then, if it flashed on and off in a pattern like that of a female firefly, the plant could achieve pollination by male fireflies. Jason Hernandez +More Naturalist-at-Large _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Hermine hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 2006.09.29 at 03:49:37(14702) Or... you may have heard of those orchids in Britain with flowers that mimic female bees, thus deceptively luring in drone bees as pollinators? Well, suppose the bioluminescence in our hypothetical plant was confined to the flowers, which bloom at night; then, if it flashed on and off in a pattern like that of a female firefly, the plant could achieve pollination by male fireflies. Jason Hernandez perhaps it could be induced to send morse code disinformation to our enemies. Moss Code, it could be called. I'm lichen this idea more and more. hermine +More _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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