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Desert Diary
Physics/Ultraviolet Light

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We tend to forget that we live in a maelstrom of electro-magnetic radiation, most of which we cannot directly perceive. Not surprisingly, the parts that we do sense as sight or heat are those that have importance in survival. It's also not surprising, when we stop to think about it, that other organisms may have been selected to perceive stimuli that are barred to us.

Even so, we tend to be astounded by the ability of some animals to see light invisible to us. For example, bees have their zone of light sensitivity shifted from the long wavelengths toward those of high frequency. Thus while we may bask in the beauty of a red rose, forbidden to bees, we cannot share the bee's delight in the ultraviolet color patterns of many desert plants, such as Desert Poppies or prickly pears. This enticing color serves a useful function—its pattern in the flower tells the bee where to go for nectar and pollen; a pattern that, not insignificantly, also results in fertilization of the plant. Bounty for both.
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Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.

Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.

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