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What chemical makes blood glow in the dark?

Published in Science 1 min read

Blood does not naturally glow in the dark. There is no chemical present in blood that causes it to emit light.

However, there are ways to make blood appear to glow in the dark:

  • Fluorescent dyes: Certain dyes, such as fluorescein, can be added to blood. When exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, these dyes absorb the light and re-emit it as visible light, making the blood appear to glow.
  • Chemiluminescence: Some chemical reactions produce light, a phenomenon called chemiluminescence. Certain chemicals can be added to blood that will react and produce a faint glow.

It's important to note that these methods do not make the blood itself glow. They simply use external factors to create the illusion of glowing.

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