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Biological luminescence (not the same as phosphorescence) is light produced by a complex chemical reaction within an organism. The chemical reaction producing this "cold" light involves at least two chemicals: "luciferin" which produces the light; and an enzyme called "luciferase" that catalyzes the reaction.
Even Darwin singled out bioluminescence as something his theory couldn't account for. Yet in the ocean it's commonplace," states a secular science magazine.1
A Harvard biologist estimates that 75% of deep-dwelling animal species produce biochemical light.2
Many marine creatures use this essential light to find a mate, defend themselves against predators, or help them find food. Some shrimp have been created with color filters, reflectors, and accessory lenses!
The doubtful idea of "convergent evolution" (the development of similar structures in unrelated organisms) is used to describe how bioluminescence evolved as many as 30 different times in alleged evolutionary history. But for convergence to occur, just two lines of descent would have to make exactly the same random choices at many hundreds of different genetic steps. In addition, current research indicates phenotype convergence doesn't imply genotype convergence. Convergence, rather, is solid evidence for creation, similarity of bioluminescence is evidence of a common Designer. A Belgian evolutionist named Rees feels he may have a key to how bioluminescence evolved using circumstantial evidence, yet the origin of the key molecule, called coelenterazine (luciferin + luciferase + photoprotein), remains a mystery to modern science.3
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1. Marchant, Joanna, "First Light," New Scientist, July 22, 2000, p. 34.
2. Trombly, Jeanne, "Cast a Cold Light," Funk & Wagnalls 1995 Science Yearbook, p. 54.
3. Haddock, S., et al., "Can Coelenterates make coelenterazine?" PNAS, Sept. 25, 2001, p. 11148.