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H H Seliger

Publications and source records attributed to H H Seliger.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1974

Long-lived chemiluminescence in cigarette smoke.

Cigarette smooke contains high concentrations of unstable moleculles that react with oxygen to produce chemiluminescence. The chemiluminescent activity is concentrated in the aerosol phase that can be absorbed on glass-fiber filters and extracted into organic solvents. Cigarette smnoke in N, N-dimethylformamide produces a long-lasting luminescence visible to the dark-adapted eye. We have demonstrated the oxygen dependence and have measured the kinetics, activation energies, emission spectra, and absolute photon intensities of this chemiluminescence. The total light emission from a single puff (35 cubic centimeters) of cigarette smoke is greater than 10(12) photons. There was a significant correlation between smoke chemiluminescence anSd tar content. It is suggested that the chemical production of electronically excited states of aromatic hydrocarbons is equivalent to photoexcitation in the promotion of the carcinogenicity of these agents.

Activation Analysis↗
PubMed1969

Stimulable and spontaneous bioluminescence in the marine dinoflagellates, Pyrodinium bahamense, Gonyaulax polyedra, and Pyrocystis lunula.

P. bahamense, G. polyedra, and P. lunula exhibit interspecies differences in stimulable and spontaneous bioluminescence. For each species the total number of photons that can be emitted upon mechanical stimulation is a constant, regardless of the time during scotophase at which stimulation occurs. Ratios of stimulable bioluminescence per organism during scotophase and photophase are as high as 950:1 for laboratory cultures and have been observed as high as 4000: 1 for natural populations of P. bahamense. Spontaneous emission in darkness shows flashing as well as low-level continuous emission. Natural populations of P. bahamense, placed in darkness during natural photophase, exhibit a dual character to their stimulable bioluminescence. Mechanical stimulation techniques are described for rapid and reproducible stimulation of bioluminescence.

Animals↗
PubMed1967

The spectral distribution of firefly light. II.

The in vivo peak emission wavelengths of bioluminescence are reported for 15 species of American fireflies. A spectrophotometric study of the dorsal light organs of 155 specimens of the Jamaican firefly Pyrophorus plagiophthalamus showed three distinct color distributions with peak emission wavelengths at 550.1 +/- 1.5 mmicro, 556.8 +/- 1.4 mmicro, and 562.4 +/- 1.0 mmicro. Similar spectral measurements of 35 ventral light organs of the same insects gave peak emission wavelengths ranging from 547 through 594 mmicro. This is a wider distribution than the total range of all 34 species of firefly studied to date. There was no obvious correlation between the colors of the ventral and dorsal light organs. It appears that P. plagiophthalamus is a special case in which the luciferase enzyme is not only different among members of the same species, but it may be different for the dorsal and ventral light organs in a single individual. A minimum of six different luciferase molecules for P. plagiophthalamus ventral light organs is proposed. The statistical precision in making these spectrophotometric measurements is discussed.

Animals↗