Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism, typically formed using efficient chemical reactions involving a pigment, an enzyme, and ATP.

Bioluminescence is used for luring prey (as in the case of the anglerfish), scaring off predators (as in the case of railroad worms), attracting mates (as in fireflies), and even camouflage (in the case of photophores in deep sea creatures like some deep-sea squids).

Various mechanisms can be used to produce bioluminescent light. A well-known one is the enzyme luciferase, which is frequently used in genetic engineering as a tracer.

Compare to: biofluorescence