Bioluminescence: Nature and Science at Work by Marc Zimmer

For students with an interest in what makes things glow,  Bioluminescence will shed a light on what scientists know about how living things light up!

In 7 concise chapters and 72 pages,  Zimmer lures the reader in with an excellent selection of intriguing and well-captioned photographs.  The text builds the readert’s knowledge of how bioluminescence works as it roots the reader in scientific terminology and an explanation of how light functions.  

Author Zimmer balances the science with references to famous historical figures like the scientist Benjamin Franklin  and the historian Pliny the Elder,  as well as telling  intriguing stories of experiments with  animals that use  fluorescence.   The reader will learn that scientists are using this knowledge to seek treatments for cancer, malaria, chagas, dengue fever and other dread diseases. 

Recommended for students who are confident readers,  those interested in science, as well as those intrigued by The Deep.  Science teachers may wish to assign selections of the text as students study cells and learn about scientific research past and present.  

Backmatter includes a glossary,  index,  photo credits,  source notes,  and links and books for further information.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Zimmer, Marc.  Bioluminescence: Nature and Science at Work.  Twenty First Century/Lerner, 2015.  Ebook accessed via Sora.