• more about #biologicalhybrids more comments →
    Kamigoroshi: Yes, Annalee did get it wrong. Kleptoplasty is the method of incorporating functional plastids (the stuff that's in chloroplasts) into the system wher... more »
    zenpoet: I remember reading a book as a "Yute" (excuse me what? Oh, a "youth") about a kid who figures out a formula to turn himself into a plant. I remember l... more »
    Tierhon: I think Annalee misunderstood the article a bit. When a species is a kleptoplast, it steals chloroplasts from other organisms. Not genes, though often... more »
    corpore-metal: Someone here mentioned solar powered people, probably as a joke. But the idea may not be that far fetched. I remember doing some calculations on this ... more »
    russdanger: What happens when you feed one of these things somebody's brain? more »
    Pope John Peeps II: When this becomes possible for future-me, I will eat the following: 1) plants so I can live on sunlight. 2) cats so it's easier to hunt and devour peo... more »
    92BuickLeSabre: What am I thankful for? Kinda creepy hybrid-plant-slugs that look like little leaves and live off the sun. And the fact that they are real. more »
  • #biologicalhybrids

    Kleptoplast Slug Steals Plant Genes and Lives on Sunlight

    A kleptoplast is an organism that steals genes from other organisms, usually by eating them. Usually those stolen genes don't actually function, but not so in the case of the leafy green E. chlorotica sea slug. This little guy uses plant genes to generate its own photosynthesis factory - after eating its favorite kind of algae, the E. chlorotica can live entirely on solar power for up to a year. More »