Remember high school biology? Plants have chlorophyll-- that stuff that makes their leaves green and helps them make their own food from sunlight. And making food from sunlight is called photosynthesis.
Remember?
Brings back memories, huh?
Well, I personally just learned about a sea slug that eats algae. I read about it in the February 2009 issue of the Smithsonian Magazine.
And . . . ?
The sea slug absorbs the chloroplast and genes from the algae it eats.
Then the slug has the ability to perform photosynthesis for itself.
Just like a plant does.
But, the slug is an animal!
Just imagine if you ate salad for a few weeks. Then afterwards, you could produce your own nutrition for the rest of your life just by standing in the sun!
And your skin would turn green and leafy, too. Kewl!
I wonder if sea slugs will even need to eat algae after a few million years go by. Too bad I won't be around to see that!
When I learn things like this, I have a hard time dismissing the theory of Evolution.
Sea some pictures, read more details:
Wild Things: Life As We Know It: Green Energy
Elysia Chlortica: Wikipedia
New Scientist: Solar-powered sea slug
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
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