Community | January 12, 2010 | 31 comments

Sea Slug Is Half-plant, Half-Animal

source: http://www.livescience.com/animals/green-slug-animal-plant-100112.html

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DeliaTheArtist
"A green sea slug appears to be part animal, part plant. It's the first critter discovered to produce the plant pigment chlorophyll.

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 can make their energy-containing molecules without having to eat anything," said Sidney Pierce, a biologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Pierce has been studying the unique creatures, officially called Elysia chlorotica, for about 20 years. He presented his most recent findings Jan. 7 at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in Seattle. The finding was first reported by Science News.

"This is the first time that multicellar animals have been able to produce chlorophyll," Pierce told LiveScience."

http://www.livescience.com/animals/green-slug-animal-plant-100112.html
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    Community,   News and Politics,   Green,   Current Tonight,   5 more
  2. tags:
    WTF,  Slugs,  chlorophyll
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