You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep
'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave tear drops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare
-Lyrics from the song Fireflies by Owl City
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep
'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave tear drops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare
-Lyrics from the song Fireflies by Owl City
Growing up in California, I had heard about fireflies all my life, but I had never seen them glowing in all their glory. I remember my astonishment when, in my mid thirties, I saw my first fireflies during a visit to Illinois. Everyone laughed when I excitedly noted that” they really do light up!” I felt as if they were magical and they made the night’s event feel the same. Fireflies are fascinating, a free and elusive magical light show. Finding them is like finding fairies. Fireflies evoke emotions in humans and are beneficial in medicine and energy research.
The Importance of Fireflies to Humans
ART
Fireflies are present in poetry, music, art and film.
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.”
― Robert Frost, The Poetry of Robert Frost
“Fireflies in the Garden
By Robert Frost 1874–1963
Medicine
The chemical utilized by the common eastern firefly for bioluminescence is a complex organic compound, luciferase. Fireflies have recently been harvested by the biochemical industry for this important compound. Researchers discovered a technique to splice the gene containing luciferase into the DNA of other plants and animals. They use this in tracing the inheritance of a particular disease-resistant gene by splicing the bioluminescence gene into the disease-resistant gene in a parent plant or animal. The disease-resistant gene can then be traced in the offspring, because if it is inherited, it will glow. ("Firefly or Lightning Bug: Photinus pyralis", 1999; Tweit, 1999)
Economics
Fireflies are economically beneficial to humans in tourism. Fireflies are featured in a tourism video for Malaysia, where the word for firelies is kelip kelip. Throughout the months of June and July, areas across Japan will hold hotaru matsuri (firefly festivals). Fisherman at sea in Thailand use synchronized firefly flashing to find their way back to port.
A team of students from the University of Hertfordshire made news with their proposal to genetically engineer christmas trees to glow without lights, using luciferase (in addition to other bioluminescent chemicals). Luciferin would be added to a fertilizer used for the tree, which would react with the luciferase that the tree produces on its own.
Fireflies are present in poetry, music, art and film.
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.”
― Robert Frost, The Poetry of Robert Frost
“Fireflies in the Garden
By Robert Frost 1874–1963
Medicine
The chemical utilized by the common eastern firefly for bioluminescence is a complex organic compound, luciferase. Fireflies have recently been harvested by the biochemical industry for this important compound. Researchers discovered a technique to splice the gene containing luciferase into the DNA of other plants and animals. They use this in tracing the inheritance of a particular disease-resistant gene by splicing the bioluminescence gene into the disease-resistant gene in a parent plant or animal. The disease-resistant gene can then be traced in the offspring, because if it is inherited, it will glow. ("Firefly or Lightning Bug: Photinus pyralis", 1999; Tweit, 1999)
Economics
Fireflies are economically beneficial to humans in tourism. Fireflies are featured in a tourism video for Malaysia, where the word for firelies is kelip kelip. Throughout the months of June and July, areas across Japan will hold hotaru matsuri (firefly festivals). Fisherman at sea in Thailand use synchronized firefly flashing to find their way back to port.
A team of students from the University of Hertfordshire made news with their proposal to genetically engineer christmas trees to glow without lights, using luciferase (in addition to other bioluminescent chemicals). Luciferin would be added to a fertilizer used for the tree, which would react with the luciferase that the tree produces on its own.