Bioluminescence is another term for glowing. Various bacteria, plankton, fungi, jellyfishes and insects can luminesce. It is a mystery why bacteria and fungi luminesce. Many deep-sea fish harness luminescent bacteria. They use the light for flashing signals to mates of finding prey in the dark. Many plankton flash light when they are disturbed, turning the sea bright at night. It is thought that plankton luminesce to help warn off predators.

Hot summer nights in America are famous for the light show every bit as exciting as the illuminations of Las Vegas - fireflies bursting with flashes of light to advertise for a mate. But far less clear is why the larvae of the fireflies also glow - after all, they can not have sex. These creatures live under leaf-litter by day and sit on top of the ground at night, rippling with slow bursts of light as they slither around, earning them the nickname 'glow-worms'. Now it has been discovered that the glow-worms use their glow to frighten off predators, warning them that they are armed with a toxic chemical which leaves a very nasty taste in the predators mouth.

The secrets of the glow-worms glow were unlocked by David Tallamy and Todd Underwood at the University of Delaware. They gave hungry mice a choice of glow-worms and mealworms. The mice tucked into the mealworms but rejected the glow-worms. Even when their glow organs were remove the mice still avoided the glow-worm, showing the pungency of the larval toxin. Further tests showed that the mice quickly grew scared of glowing food by avoiding morsels of crispy rice cereal equipped with artificial lights. This is the first evidence that an insect uses glow to warn off its enemies, in the same way that butterflies or wasps use bright colours. It makes perfect sense, of course, because the glow-worms flashing shines like a beacon in the dark, warning predators to stay away. A glowing testament to bioluminescence

Andrew Smit

The illuminating history and power of Herbs have been a passion of mine for many years. My name is Andrew Smit and i am a herbalist in Sunny South Africa. I have always used herbs as an integral part of my day to day living. Five years ago i decided to fulfill that last phase of my herb journey and started growing herbs commercially, in doing so it has really completed my basic training so to speak. For the last 20 years herbs have been part of my life in one way or another. I still consider myself a junior in the field, a field that has a heritage of over 6000 years hence my statement. Hopefully I will be able to share some of the enigmas and findings that have showed themselves to me. In my opinion herbs have proven themselves time and again. One bit of advice i can offer about herbs is this:- to reap the benefits of herbs one must make herbs a part of your life, you will see the difference that i guarantee you.

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