Scientists have recorded the glow of living beings: it disappears after death.

According to ТСН: Researchers from the University of Calgary and the National Research Council of Canada discovered that living organisms emit very weak bursts of light, which disappear after their death. Experiments on mice and plants confirmed this phenomenon, known as biophotonic emission.

Research on emission in living organisms

Physicist Wahid Salari's team recorded ultra-weak photons emitted by cells of living animals and plants. After death, the intensity of this light quickly decreases, even when the body temperature is maintained at levels of living organisms. Highly sensitive cameras with electronic multiplication were used for measurements.

Four mice were placed in a completely dark chamber: first, the emission was recorded for an hour, then the animals were anesthetized and filming continued for another hour. In living mice, UPE—ultra-weak photon emission—was found to be significantly more active than in the post-mortem state.

Emission in plants

Similar results were obtained in the plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Heptapleurum arboricola. When the leaves were deliberately damaged or treated with chemicals, the glow intensified in those areas. This indicates the important role of reactive oxygen species: cellular stress can stimulate the appearance of biophotons.

Scientists believe that such photons arise during reactions in cells, for example, when hydrogen peroxide interacts with fats and proteins, causing changes in their electrons. Although the emission is extremely weak and not visible to the naked eye, it can be recorded using special techniques.

Prospects of research

Scientists believe that in the future, this method may become a new tool for non-invasive monitoring of stress and tissue condition.