Plant Chemiluminescence

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Abstract
Light production by plants was confirmed by measuring chemiluminescence from root and stem tissue of peas (Pisum sativum), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and corn (Zea mays) in a modified scintillation spectrophotometer. Chemiluminescence was inhibited by treating pea roots with boiling ethanol or by placing them in a N2 gas phase. Chemiluminescence was increased by an O2 gas phase or by the addition of luminol. NaN3 and NaCN blocked both in vitro and in vivo chemiluminescence. Possibly the source of light is the hydrogen peroxide-peroxidase enzyme system. This system is responsible for chemiluminescence in leukocytes and it seems likely that a similar system occurs in plants.