Light

Light: Physical and Biological Action provides an introduction to the significant problems that are usually considered in photobiology. This book covers a variety of topics, including photosensitization, phototropism, phototaxis, photosynthesis, bioluminescence, diurnal rhythms, and the measurement of molecular excitation by light. Organized into five chapters, this book begins with an overview of the characteristics of light from a purely physical and historical viewpoint. This text then discusses the various types of radiation, including temperature or thermal radiation, photoluminescence, chemiluminescence, radiation produced by electric discharges, and radiation produced by high local electric field. Other chapters consider the various bond involved in molecular formation, which shows the atomic orbitals associated with the constituents of the molecule. This book discusses as well the fluorescence bands of polyatomic molecules. The final chapter deals with some of the limitations of the methods involved in electron microscopy. This book is a valuable resource for biologists and photochemists.