1. The ability to glow in the dark belongs to the genus Motyxia, and is hypothesized to be done in order to scare off predators.
2. Despite being blind, millipedes are able to differentiate between day and night.
3. The Motyxia millipede is hypothesized to give off its glow by oozing toxic cyanide and other chemicals from its pores.
4. There are 12,000 types of millipedes that have been discovered, but they're supposed to be about 100,000 in existence.
5. This Motyxia millipede has a photo protein that is believed to be activated by usage of calcium and energy-rich compounds in its cells.
The Scientific Method:
There is clear evidence that the scientists involved in the experiment described in the article used the scientific method. From the beginning questions to the final conclusion, signs of the scientific method are evident due to the process of how the information was attained.
Upon discovering the glowing millipedes, scientists questioned the reasoning that this phenomenon occurs. This is the first step in the scientific method. Following the development of the experiment question, there needs to be a hypothesis. "Marek and his coworkers hypothesized by using bioluminescence as a warning signal, luminescent millipedes would be attacked less than non-luminescent ones." This quote taken from the article is the educated guess the scientists made. After gaining all the necessary background information, the scientists constructed the outline for an experiment. The final product made sure to have both independent and dependent variables, with constants and properly marked millipedes. After collecting the data, the scientists analysed the results and came to the conclusion that the Motyxia millipede does use its glow-in-the-dark capabilities to prevent predator attacks.
