I am Fluorescence
You have seen me in the sparkles of rubies, emeralds and the Hope diamond when under short wave UV light. You have marvelled at me when you saw a greeneye swimming in the water. You have seen me in the iridescent light emitting “black box” entertainments and environments of theatres and shrines. Have you ever wondered who I can be? Hello, I am Fluorescence!
My earliest occurrence was found in a Mexican tree in 1565. Nicolás Monardes, a Spanish physician and botanist, discovered a peculiar blue tinge that I added to water when filled in cups made from that Mexican tree. Contemporarily, Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan missionary also reported the presence of a blue colour and named it ‘coatli’ and proclaimed my powers to be beneficial for the urine. I was also called ‘kidney wood’ (Lignum nephriticum) by Charles de L’Écluse because I was considered effective in treating kidney ailments. The chemical compound responsible for my existence is matlanine, which is the oxidation product of one of the flavonoids found in this wood.
In 1819, Edward D. Clarke and in 1822, René Juste Haüy described fluorescence in fluorites, Sir David Brewster described the phenomenon for chlorophyll in 1833 and Sir John Herschel did the same for quinine in 1845.
In my presence, the visible light component -sometimes known as “white light”- tends to be reflected and perceived normally, as colour; while the UV component of light is modified, ‘stepped down’ energetically into longer wave-lengths, producing additional visible light frequencies, which are then emitted alongside the reflected white light. Human eyes perceive these changes as the unusual ‘glow’ of fluorescence.
I am different
My type of luminance is significantly different from the natural bio-luminescence of bacteria, insects and fish such as the case of the fire-fly, etc. This involves no reflection at all but true, living generation of light (via the chemistry of Luciferin).
