Your Friendly Neighborhood Specialist

A common Green Sea Slug (Elysia Chlorotica), is one of the rare species of Salt Water Mollusks that are able to Photosynthesize—yes, “Photosynthesis”, a biological process which back in high school was thought to us that only Plants can do.

Although the organism isn’t really born with photosynthesizing ability, because it actually steals Chloroplasts from Algae that it eats (a method called “Kleptoplasty”), and uses the acquired Chlorophyll to take energy from Sunlight.

Still, it is amazing; its discovery is somewhat relevant to what Scientist and Biologist Lynn Margulis have predicted that the existence of these animals years ago via her theory of Endosymbiosis. She’s argued that mitochondria and other organelles evolved from bacteria through a symbiotic relationship.  It is a proof that the evolutionary ancestors of species of both plants and animals are indeed connected to a single, primitive bacterial specie.