reactions to light and color 

experiments done by scientists how animals react on different light and colors:

numerous scientists have investigated with different experimental methods, how the biological effect of light affects diverse forms of life.

above all visual effects were particulary investigated to understand which function do colors and the light have if they do not pass the eye.

it became clear that every organism is attracted individually by the light.

• the experiments which have been done with plants and animals can draw interesting conclusions for similar reactions of human beings.
• plants are known that they turn themselves towards the light which is also known as phototropism. if you will explain it clearly in a mechnanical way this phenomenon can be explained this way: the supporting cells as well as the native cells of the plant have the tendency to grow faster at the shady side. while on the one hand the light on the shady side is known to be blue-colored and it seems that this supportes the fast developement but on the other hand the red-colored one inhibits growth.
• it has been found out that seed potatoes which are stored in red-colored light do not develope airborne germs. later on, these potato plants give a good crop.

john ott a member at walt disney :

john ott who filmed for many years for walt disney films of nature made the experience that artificial light of spotlights confuses the blossoms rhythm of plants completely, which means that the buds do not open themselves and that the fruits are mellowing at the wrong time. little by little, he discovered the profoundly connection between light, color and fruitfulness of plants. many of his observations have nowadays basic meanings for the modern, highly efficient greenhouse cultures.

reactions of flowers and vegetables on different light:

flowers and also vegetables can be industrially produced within almost any season. it only depends on the dose of the artificial light so that different color tunes and light-dark cycles are optimally fitting to each plant.

the results are remarkable, however, many of these fast-growing, artificially controlled plants are diing if they are putted into a natural environment.

how is the raction of edible plants on different light?

edible plants which were cultivated in different experiments and various colorings have reacted on great vehemence to the particular color oscillation. the plants showed a modified apperarance they had a different flavor and they also had a different consistency.

how does cress react on different colored light?

when cress was illuminated with red-colored light it became thin and it got a bitter flavor. on the other hand when the cress was illuminated with green-colored light it became strawy. under blue-colored light, however, sprouted rampand and tasty plants, while the control group grew normal when it was illuminated with normal white light.

winegrowing :

in the winegrowing people have discovered that the yeast fungus feels itself most comfortable and that it is devoting the best wines when it ( the yeast fungus ) is illuminated in its mash tubs with a yellow-colored light.

another experience is that fat which is illuminated with a blue-colored light and with ultraviolet-light quickly turns into being rancid. to avoid this, what was mentioned before, milk is often offered in red-brown colored glass bottles.

how are animals affected by special colorcombinations?

most animals rhythms of life are affected by light and special color combinations. even bacilli are turning themselves to the light.

people have run numerous animal experiments to understand the different reaction patterns better.

unfortunately, many of these lessons learned were unscrupulous used for animal breeding as well as for keeping of animals.

the hen and the laying of eggs:

for example,

a hen lays down one egg per day. however, it is possible to manipulate this animal by illuminating it with two-twelve-hours lasting lightening cycles. now, the poor hen thinks that through these 24 hours two days have passed and the hen rushes itself to lay twice as many eggs than before to keep up with the artificial sun. apart from that you can distinguish between eggs which are fresh and between those ones which are rotten by screening them with fluorescent ultraviolet light.

• fresh eggs show a pink glimmer while on the other hand
• rotten eggs show a blueish color.

the pelt breeding of mink bears :

colors and light are also used in the pelt breeding to achieve higher profits. for the ermine, also called mink bear, the merchant makes bigger profits when he sells white pelts, which the ermine wears for its natural camouflage in winter, than when the merchant tries to sell brown ones.

in nature the ermine reacts to the extremely short winter days with hormon releases which give its pelt the white color.

a breeded mink is every day illuminated with a blueish color for a few hours which is typically for a freezy polarday. regardless of minus temperatures and snowfall it is suggested to the animal that winter is just around the corner and that the time had come to change the fur.

chinchillas :

whereas, when you illuminate chinchillas, during their pairing and pregnacy, with blue-colored light you will get a surplus of female animals which have a more smoothy and fine fur. that makes female ermines more valuable then male ones when you see it commercially.

when you illuminate them under the same circumstances mentioned above, but with red-colored light you will get an artificial surplus of male ermines.

fishbreeding :

similarly manipulations are possible in the fish breeding.

starlings and pigeons :

to set another example. the starlings and also pigeons are always exposed to the enormous, colorful flickering illuminated advertisings all around the london's piccadilly circus. the intensive fluorescent lighting stimulates their sex hormons, that is why they are fruitful for the whole of the year.

normal starlings, however, lay eggs only between may and august which corresponds to the natural life rhythm of many other birds.

mice and rats :

mice and rats provided the most extreme evidence in animal experiments how animals react on the influence of colors. therefore the animals were kept in special glass cages and they were also exposed continuously for months to certain colored lights. despite the best feed, plenty of air and run for them, many died one after another due to the monotonous colors. the most fatal effect on the animals had red, pink, and orange. you can make a comparison between the monotonous color influences and the consequences of a long lasting vitamin deficiency. mice which were only illuminated with red and pink light developed, however, had an increased appetite in the course of the experiments and they also incresed their weight quickly, but they died because of the long-term irradiation.

• all in all it seems that red and yellow-colored lights are stimulating the feeling of hunger among mammals
• whereas blue and green-colored lights have a rather dampening effect.

colors also have an healing effect on plants and animals.

attempts with horses :

in veterinary medicine, for example,

people have successfully kept overexerts working horses in stables which had blue-colored window glasses to intensify the recovery phase. the stable of race horses got a blue and or a orange-red interior paint. the animals which were in the blue-colored division after a race became relatively quick calm whereas the animals which were kept in the red-orange colored stable after a race remained to be longer nervous.

as we already know, most mammals with the exception of higher primates are only able to perceive colors in a limited way. that is the reason why the therapy of colors has found its way on another way than the visual one.

johannes itten, an arts professor and color researcher reports that horses have not received the color informations with their eyes, however, this is shown in another circumstance within this experiment.

effects of colors on flies and insects according to itten:

• in the stables which have been painted in blue colors nearly any flies were seen,
• but the horses which were in the red-orange colored stable were plagued by flies.
• fact is that yellow-colored cloths which are worn at a summer evening attrackt all sorts of insects and mosquitoes.

colors and superstition:

• in former times people have seen a bad sign in this, and therefore yellow had the reputation for being a bad color. furthermore, beelzebub means in arabic: " lord of the flies ". we can here see a linkage between biological facts and superstition, between simple religion and magic. we intend to trace their spoors in the next chapter, because colors have also steadily influenced human beings.
• nowadays we are the first generation which is exposed to extremely high color doses made by neon adverts, disco lights, films and screens. that is why we should remember ourselves from time to time which results have been achieved through the animal experiments, to develope a feeling how much colors can intervene our lives.

thereapy of color of karl ryberg mosaik verlag 1992 page 16-21