Luciferin
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Luciferin is a noun meaning (biochemistry) Any of a class of polycyclic heterocycles that are responsible for the bioluminescence of fireflies, being converted to oxyluciferin by luciferase in the process.
Meaning
(biochemistry) Any of a class of polycyclic heterocycles that are responsible for the bioluminescence of fireflies, being converted to oxyluciferin by luciferase in the process.
Example Sentences
Aptly enough, glowworms light up their underworld with a pair of chemicals that have a satanic etymology—luciferins and luciferases, after the Latin for “light bringer.”
Word Forms
- luciferins
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include luciferase, firefly, oxyluciferin, oxiluciferin, lusiferase, nanoluciferase.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.