what powers the firefly to light up
Firefly is also known as lightning bug.It has luminescent glands located on the underside of the rear abdominal segment.They emit light by allowing oxygen,breathed through its abdominal tracheae,to combine with a substance called luciferin in the presence of an enzyme called luciferase.Along with light,carbon dioxide is also produced.The unique characteristic of the fly is that it emits light without producing heat.The fly uses this cold light to procure food,as warning signal to escape from predators and as mating signal. During photosynthesis,radiant energy(light) is converted into chemical energy(starch) by plants.But a firefly converts the chemical energy from the body into radiant energy, without raising the temperature in the process.
