Light Source

Understanding light..  made it possible to understand why the shadow edge from a beam of light is slightly blurred. It made it possible to understand that the colors of a beam split by a prism, or by a diffraction grating, are the result of waves being bent more than others. It made it possible to understand other phenomena.

Light at a shorter "wavelength" (depending on the thickness) is set at its reflectance from the surface. Expamples of such include the scales of butterfly wings, the layered feathers of bird wings, and even the oily film on the surface of a rain puddle.

Bloth plants and animals use light to orient themselves in a spatial environment. Single-cell algae with eyespots swim toward the light. Various plant parts respond, to the direction of light, and growing toward it.

Even color in minerals is the result of the selective absorption of parts of the spectrum of white light. The optical properties depend on the interaction of light with minerals. The most obvious property is whether it is transparent, translucent or opaque. This is a function of the structure of the mineral and the kind of bonds that bind atom to atom. It is a measure of the amount of light absorbed by the mineral. And the amount of light reflected also produces different intensities.

What is named Earthy Luster in minerology is in effect a lack of luster produced by surfaces that scatter the light. The observed color being due to the reflections of light that are absorbed. There is no single cause of color. Sometimes it is a direct result of the presence of certain elements.


As sedentary creatures of light, plants have evolved their amazing biochemistry. The foliage surface supplies the light energy that they use to fix carbon dioxide and make sugars. The root surfaces provide a comparable surface for absorbing elements and water.

The dietary needs of plants are quite simple and have some similarities to ours. Althought they may not need any vitamins, only a few elements. They obtain carbon (C) and oxygen (O) from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere when the tiny pores in their leaves, the stomata, are open.

They obtain hydrogen (H) from the water that they split apart in photosynthesis. In lesser amounts, they assimilate nitrogen (N) from the dissolved ions of ammonium or nitrate in the soil water, or from backteria in their roots. They also obtain smaller amounts of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) as ions in the soil water solution, and they assimilate sulfur (S) as sulfate from the soin water as well.

The rest of their nutrition requirements are metallic elements dissolved at low concentrations in the soil water (iron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, zinc, and molybdenum), as well as a bit of chlorine. Being creatures of light with their biochemical capabilities makes them sophisticated in their own natural environment for complete contro of their development.

Because of the similar elements are essential to the maintenance of such living systems, to ensure the constant supply and the understanding of such energy source is needed.

Nature Synthesis

Most of a plant's surface area contributing to the photosynthetic process occurs in the leaves. Hundreds of millions of years of natural selection have shaped leaves into efficient structures that maximize their exposure to light, control their gas exchange, minimize water loss, and help move water, minerals, and carbohydrates up from the roots and to other parts of the plant.

About 10 percent of all the photosynthesis that occurs is the product of higher plants, those that we regularly see around us, and the other 90 percent is the product of algae, most of which occur ini the ocean.


Homeostasis - Environment of the Earliest Cell

All life forms are thought to share a marine origin because the fluids found in cells have a salt concentration comparable to that of salt water. The majority of freshwater environments, the ocean presents a stable environment with regard to salt concentration, pH, and temperature.


Most organisms are very sensitive to even slight changes in their external environment, and are unable to survive seemingly minor changes in their surrounding medium.

Chemistry of Minerals

Nearly all rocks are composed of minerals, but fine specimens are rare and tend to occur in what is called fissures and other cavities where the crystals have been unobstructed during their growth.

Many are obtained from the mineral veins. High temperature fluids deposit minerals in cracks and fissures in rocks and many of these veins, often called hydrothermal veins, are worked as sorces of ore. They frequently contain colorful specimens and good crystals, not only of the commercially valuable ore minerals, but also of the accompanying and economically valueless gangue minerals as well.

It is not always necessary to examine or collect from the veins themselves - in many instances, it is dangerous or impossible to do so - for mining activity usually results in dumps of discarded material which, if carefully searched, will often yield good specimens.

Good crystals can often be found lining cavities in rocks of virtually every kind, though particular minerals tend to occur in certain environments. Sometimes wearthered-out cavity linings, called geodes, are lined with well shaped crystals, and many fine crystals of amethyst occur in such associations.

Pegmatites, which crystallize from relatively low temperature, volatile rich magma (fluids), are another source of crystals and rare minerals that frequently grow to large sizes.

Collectors will find some crystals and minerals that are difficult to identify. They are urged to become acquainted with minerals that are displayed in many national and other museums. Time spent in this way will be amply repaid, not only in terms of identification of specimens, but also in becoming more deeply involved in the study of natural history.