PREFACE vii 



and on the relationships between free energy, activation energy, and 

 emission of visible light in chemiluminescent reactions in general are 

 set forth in discussions by Eyring, Mayer, and Kauzmann, respec- 

 tively. Further data on the bacterial system, based on considerably 

 purified bacterial luciferase, are contributed in the paper that follows 

 by Hastings and McElroy. 



The physical chemistry of activation and inhibition of intracellular 

 luminescence, with special reference to the fundamental action of 

 temperature, hydrostatic pressure, and chemical agents on the reac- 

 tion rates and equilibria involved in the process of light emission and 

 other biological processes is discussed, apart from the mathematical 

 details of the quantitative theory, in the paper by Johnson. The em- 

 phasis is on points of general interest, with a somewhat more detailed 

 discussion of the significance and interp)retation of recent data on the 

 kinetics of luminescence in cell-free extracts. 



Physiological control of luminescence in animals of varying degrees 

 of complexity, from protozoa and coelenterates to animals with a 

 central nervous system, including worms and fishes, is dealt with by 

 Nicol. Quantitative data on the characteristics of the luminescent 

 response to electrical stimulation in representative types illustrate 

 facilitation, fatigue, and other phenomena familiar in neuromuscular 

 physiology, as well as some effects that are not so generally familiar. 

 Problems in the analysis and interpretation of the physiological control 

 of luminescence in various types of animals are critically examined in 

 the following paper by Buck. 



A great diversity of luminescent organisms, terrestrial as well as 

 marine, found in Japan and the Far East is described by Haneda 

 in a comprehensive account that includes first hand observations on 

 distribution, ecological relationships, morphology, histology, physi- 

 ology, natural history, and other aspects of distinct biological interest. 

 An extensive list of references gives access to the important Japanese 

 literature. 



The ecology of marine dinoflagellates, with particular reference to 

 the biological and environmental factors associated with the occurrence 

 of "red water" conditions, is presented in the paper by Ryther. The 

 discussion includes the influence of nutrient requirements, salinity, 

 temperature, and air and water currents. Instances of red water con- 



