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48
Jaina Biology
Indian fish have light organs under their eyes in which live luminous bacteria. The light organ contains special long cylindrical cells, well supplied with blood vessels to supply the bacteria with adequate amounts of oxygen. The baeteria emit light continuously and the fish have a black membrane, like an eyelid, that can be drawn up over the light organ to turn off the light. No one knows how the bacteria to collect in the fish's light organ, as they must in each newly hatched fish."'49
The light produced by luminescent organisms, glow-worm, etc. is entirely in the visible spectrum. Bioluminescence light may be called udyota 50 (i. e. “Cold light” ),51 since very little heat is given off, as it is explained by modern Biology.52 “ The production of light is an enzyme - controlled reaction, the details of which differ in different species. Bacteria and fungi produce light continuously if oxygen is available. Most luminecent animals give out flashes of light only when their luminescent organs are stimulated.''52
(Udyotascandramanikhad.
49. Ibid., pp. 77-78. 50. Tattvarth Sūtra, v. 24; Sarvārthasiddhi, v. 24, p. 296
yotādiprabhavaḥ. ) Praka'ah /", 51. Biology, p. 78. 52. Ibid., p. 79.
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