Key Components in Bioluminescence

While studying firefly tales, scientists have discovers that there are a few key components in bioluminescent reactions that cannot be missing.  Oxygen is one of the reactants that is needed to carry out a bioluminescent reaction (1).  Fireflies breathe in oxygen though it’s complex systems of air tubes in order to deliver this ingredient to their stomachs containing luciferin (6).  ATP (C₁₀H₁₆N₅O₁₃P₃), or adenosine triphosphate, is essential to a bioluminescent reaction (11).  It is fortunate that ATP is a key ingredient in a living organism.    It is imperative that luciferin is present the reaction (1).  The composition of luciferin in different creatures varies (1).  This ingredient is oxidized by the enzyme luciferase.  This enzyme kick starts the reaction by lowering the activation energy needed to start the reaction.  From organism to organism, the enzyme luciferase can also vary.  These ingredients are essential to making organisms glow by bioluminescence (4).  In many types of species, luciferin must be brought in freshly for the reaction to occur.  This process may happen by eating other luminescent creatures of producing luciferin within their body (1).