![]() Dinos are highly sensitive to anything that pushes on their cell wall,Įven the seawater they live in can cause them to flash if it becomes very rough and stirred up. In a similar fashion to the way we perceive being touched, this is the type of stimulation that causes a dinoflagellate to produce a flash of light. There are many different simple experiments you can do with your bioluminescent dinos. You should test their bioluminescence at the same timeĮverynight so you know that the organism is at the same point in its natural rhythm each time. If you are doing experiments with these organisms remember that these rhythms will determine when you should perform the experiments. ![]() That in the daytime (when the sun is really out) the dinos will think it is nighttime and will be flashing brightly. For example, you could grow them in a place that doesn't get any natural sunlight and instead give them artificial light at night so If you have access to a grow light or an aquarium/terriarium light this is ideal, because then you can really control when they get their photosynthetic light. If you can do this, the dinos will be brightly luminescent whenever they are in their "night phase" and they will be pretty much non-luminescent when they are in their "day Ideally, they should get 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness every 24 hours and at the same time every day. So, you need to grow them on a strict light schedule, otherwise their natural rhythms can't synchronize with the light cycle and they won't know when to flash and when not to flash. they only photosynthesize when they think it's dayĪnd they only produce bioluminescence or flash when they think it's night. Which controls their bioluminescence and photosynthesis on a 24-hour basis, i.e. These dinoflagellates have a circadian rhythm Shipping is obviously a problem for these temperature reasons, sometimes the dinos don't survive shipping. Also, don't keep them in your pocket or hold them too long because your body temperature will heat them up too much and they will die. As far as temperature, they need to be kept in an area that doesn't get too hot or too cold, so sometimes a window is not ideal. They can grow in sunlight or artificial light as long as it's fairly bright but not too hot. ![]() So, make sure you grow them in a container that is clear so they can get light. You will need to provide them with an appropriate amount of light on a regular basis because the only way they can grow is by producing their own food using a process called photosynthesis, just like plants do. Carolina Biological sells kits that provide an easy and inexpensive way to bring bioluminescence home, and there are many experiments you can do based on the unique properties of luminescent bacteria.) ![]() (Not a related organism, but for class projects, you might also consider using luminous bacteria. They also sell 3-ml vials which are suitable for classroom use, so that each student can take a vial home with them.Īnother company is selling a variety of bioluminescent dinoflagellates. They mail the dinos in clear plastic baggies that contain 50 ml of dinos and seawater for $20 per bag.
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