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Grow More - Glow More - Know More - Grow your own bioluminescent plankton! The Bio-Orb contains seawater and tiny plankton or single-cell algae called dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates are a part of the plankton community and thus are the basis for the Ocean Food Chain. All ocean fish and mammals (including whales & dolphins) rely on plankton directly or indirectly for their food source and energy. Dinos play a role in this food chain by converting light energy into chemical energy (photosynthesis). Unfortunately, this puts them squarely at the bottom of the food chain. Save some Dinos by keeping them as pets. Photosynthesis: Our Dinos, or ‘PyroDinos’ as we call them, use light as their main energy source. Dinos use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Dinos generate oxygen (O2) as a byproduct. Thus these little Dinos, as a part of the larger plankton community, provide oxygen for us to breathe and help combat global warming by ‘fixing’ carbon (CO2) by removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Did you know that plankton provide more than half the oxygen you breathe? A thank you would be nice. Photosynthesis constitutes a dinoflagellate’s daytime routine. Their nighttime routine (bioluminescence) gets all the attention. These Dinos can either photosynthesize or produce natural light. However, they can only do one of these actions at a time and have a daily schedule separating each of these activities. Dinos have an internal biological clock called a Circadian Rhythm to help guide them toward the best time for photosynthesis and bioluminescence. Circadian rhythm is a physical and behavioral change that follows a daily cycle. This cycle is programmed by cycles of daylight and the absence of light. Did you know that you have a Circadian rhythm too? During the dinoflagellate daytime cycle, the only action taking place is photosynthesis. This means dinoflagellates will not ‘light up’ and produce light (bioluminescence) during their daytime cycle. Interestingly enough their Circadian cycle can be modified over time (several days) by providing light at night and keeping them in the dark during the day. Over time (several days to a week) they will adapt to their new light cycle. Bioluminescence is probably what PyroDinos are best known for. Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism and occurs only at night, in the dark, when these Dinos are gently agitated and physically moved. Many other organisms produce bioluminescence. Some examples are fireflies, jellyfish, mushrooms and bacteria. When you see bioluminescence in a complex organism (like an Angler fish), it is most likely from a symbiotic bacteria that are living within that organism. Bioluminescence is caused by a chemical reaction between a light-emitting molecule and an enzyme that are generically referred to as luciferin and luciferase. During and throughout the dinoflagellate nighttime cycle these light-producing molecules are produced. Thus the longer into the nighttime cycle, the more potential for light production. The best way to view dinoflagellate bioluminescence is in a very dark room after the nighttime cycle has begun. So besides the air we breathe, the food we eat and combating climate change these little guys are just fun to watch at night. Please subscribe to our channel and visit PyroFarms to learn more. #science #bioluminescence #gift #stem
