Salamander is world's first photosynthetic vertebrate

[Ichingcarpenter]

Scientists have long believed that only plants, algae, some bacteria, and a few invertebrates were capable of taking advantage of photosynthesis, which converts sunlight directly into energy. But now, for the first time, a photosynthetic vertebrate has been found.

The incredible creature is none other than the fairly common spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum). Ironically, the spotted salamander is not a new species for researchers, and it has long been known that the animal's embryos share a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae. That relationship, however, was always assumed to be an outside one, whereby the algae and the salamander work separately toward a fair exchange of resources.


It turns out that researchers just weren't looking closely enough. While studying a batch of salamander embryos, scientist Ryan Kerney of Dalhousie University saw something different than the prevailing dogma would suggest — a bright green color coming from inside their cells.

That color usually indicates the presence of chlorophyll, which is the light-absorbing green pigment that makes photosynthesis possible.

"On a lark, I decided to take a long-exposure fluorescent image of a pre-hatchling salamander embryo," said Kerney. After backing that experiment up using transmission electron microscopy, he confirmed his suspicion. There were algal symbionts located inside the salamander cells.

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/pets-animals/stories/salamander-is-worlds-first-photosynthetic-vertebrate

[kestrel91316]

1. VERY weird......

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. There is so much about DNA that we still don't know

I've read about DNA transference from the animal kingdom but not this.

There are some good documentaries on line that infer this could happen.

[WheelWalker]

2. In the immortal words of a frog....

It's not easy being green.

[Odin2005]

4. WOAH!!!

:wow:

[frogmarch]

5. Wow!

Amazing, just amazing!

[NickB79]

6. Transfer that to humanity via gene therapy, and world hunger would be a thing of the past

And we'd all look like sexy Star Trek aliens to boot :-)

[TheMadMonk]

7. Not even close. Nor could we dispense with our need for oxygen.

Surface area to volume (and demand) ratio is way to low.

Plus the fundies would never permit the nudism.

[WheelWalker]

8. But think about this... If I had chlorophyll, lots of CO2, and sunlight,

might I not produce my own O2 byproduct and become a self-contained re-breather? There's a certain elegance in the concept.

[TheMadMonk]

9. Except IIRC one human being needs about 100 m2 of leaf to meet...

...their oxygen needs. You're short by a factor of 50. And that's if you did nothing but vegetate (geddit) in the sun all day.

[WheelWalker]

10. So I would need surface area? I don't know if I'd look good w/ green

hair. And I'd have to relocate to AZ!? My home town's a bit shy on sun, although the forest seems to do fine. I do notice most of the trees have lots of needles. Surface area.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. I don't think you'd want to be green in AZ

"You ain't from around here, are ya boy?"

[WheelWalker]

16. He he he... no doubt.

[NickB79]

12. Party pooper. nt

[Nihil]

11. There was a story about that ...

... involving an island of green people & a scientist who has managed
to use a chlorophyllic symbiont to do that (rather than gene therapy
with humans directly) ... but unfortunately I can't recall the name
of it (thought it was by Philip K Dick) and my googling skills have
failed me on filling in the blanks ... sigh ...

:shrug:

[NickB79]

13. There was a good short story about that called The Green Leopard Plague

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Leopard_Plague

[Nihil]

14. Nope ... that wasn't it ...

... but thanks anyway!

:hi:

(It'll come to me sometime ...)