Photobiology: the science of light and life (Google eBook)

Lars Olof Björn

Springer, 2002 - Science - 451 pages

Photobiology - the science of light and life - begins with basic principles and the physics of light and continues with general photobiological research methods, such as generation of light, measurement of light, and action spectroscopy. In an interdisciplinary way, it then treats how organisms tune their pigments and structures to the wavelength components of light, and how light is registered by organisms. Then follow various examples of photobiological phenomena: the design of the compound eye in relation to the properties of light, phototoxicity, photobiology of the human skin and of vitamin D, photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism, the setting of the biological clock by light, and bioluminescence. A final chapter is devoted to teaching experiments and demonstrations in photobiology. This book encompasses topics from a diverse array of traditional disciplines: physics, biochemistry, medicine, zoology, botany, microbiology, etc., and makes different aspects of photobiology accessible to experts in all these areas as well as to the novice. It is intended primarily for graduate students and for researchers who wish to look outside their speciality, but can also act as a source of information for undergraduate students.

Contents

• The Nature of Light and its Interaction with Matter: 1
• Principles and Nomenclature for the Quantification of light: 37
• Generation and Control of Light: 45
• The Measurement of Light: 65
• Natural Light: 87
• Action Spectroscopy in Biology: 97
• Spectral Tuning in Biology: 115
• The Photochemical Reactions in Biological Light Perception: 153
• The Design of the Compound Eye: 181
• Phototoxicity: 219
• Ozone Depletion and Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation: 239
• Vitamin D: 265
• The Photobiology of Human Skin: 281
• Photomorphpgenesis and Photoperiodism in Plants: 299
• The Biological Clock and its Resetting by Light: 335
• Bioluminescence: 389
• Hints for Teaching Experiments and Demonstrations: 411
• Subject and Organism Index: 441

Bibliographic information

• Title: Photobiology: the science of light and life
• Editor: Lars Olof Björn
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Springer, 2002
• ISBN: 1402008422, 9781402008429
• Length: 451 pages
• Subjects: Medical / General; Science / Life Sciences / Anatomy & Physiology; Science / Life Sciences / Biology; Science / Life Sciences / Botany