Have you guys heard about the half-plant sea slug? This story is so crazy. MSNBC reports, “The sneaky slugs seem to have stolen the genes that enable this skill from algae that they’ve eaten. With their contraband genes, the slugs can carry out photosynthesis—the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy.”
They apparently obtain chloroplasts from the algae they eat, which makes it possible for them to create chlorophyll themselves. An animal that can create chlorophyll and survive off of the energy produced in photosynthesis, without having to eat anything? It completely blows my mind.
Here’s my (obvious) question: how much algae would I have to eat to be able to produce my own chlorophyll? I’m not saying I want to be green or that I want to do away with the need for eating—because I love eating—I’m just curious.
