Biochromy

📖 The Scoop

Biochromy: Natural Coloration of Living Things by Denis L. Fox offers a captivating exploration of the colors found in the natural world, revealing the molecular secrets behind the vibrant hues of plants and animals. Fox reminds us that while nature holds countless mysteries, we have only scratched the surface in understanding the complex chemistry behind biological coloration. Despite the vast diversity of species, the number of colored molecules responsible for these chromatic displays is surprisingly limited, with just a few dozen classes of biochromes responsible for the breathtaking spectrum of colors we see in nature.

Fox delves into the intricate mechanisms of biochromy, explaining how the vibrational frequencies of electrons within unsaturated molecular compounds govern color. Whether through pigments that absorb and reflect specific wavelengths of light or through structural colors created by microscopic physical phenomena, living organisms display their hues in two distinct ways. The pigments that give rise to color in organisms also play crucial biochemical roles, from photosynthesis in plants to oxygen transport in animals, making them essential to the metabolic health and survival of living beings.

This book offers both a detailed scientific explanation of natural coloration and an appreciation for the wonder and beauty of these pigments. Whether you're a scientist or a nature lover, Biochromy provides a window into the molecular world that shapes the colors of life itself, offering insights into the interplay between chemistry and biology that defines the natural world.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.

Genre: Science / Life Sciences / Botany (fancy, right?)