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First Evidence That Some Insects May Rely On Photosynthesis
tedlistens writes "The idea that aphids may use photosynthesis, as plants do, is based on the recent finding that the bugs are able to synthesize pigments called carotenoids. These pigments are common and necessary for many animals (for non-photosynthesis uses, like maintaining a healthy immune system), but the animal must consume them from outside sources. So far, only plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria are known to be able to synthesize carotenoids themselves, and, in all of those organisms, carotenoids are a key part of photosynthesis. While the co-author of the study, published in Nature's open-access journal Scientific Reports, cautions that more research is needed before we can determine if aphids are photosynthesizing like non-animals, it still could be one of the more remarkable findings in biology in recent memory, and may hold promise for helping address humanity's food crisis."
It goes from "correlation equals causation" to " promise for helping address humanity's food crisis" in one paragraph!
and may hold promise for helping address humanity's food crisis
I imagine the ultimate solution would be to literally transform part of the human population into vegetables... able to absorb CO2, feed themselves in the Sun light and be happy no matter what the govts do to exploit them (+ be actually grateful for being pissed on).
Maybe, in the first stage, FauxNews can help?
Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
No, seriously. There is no food crisis. As a species we have a food distribution problem, and a food wastage problem and they're rather shocking at that, but we really have no issue with feeding the population of earth today without resorting to eating genetically modified photosynthetic aphids. Now, a long term lack of motor fuel, is a problem, but aphids don't really solve that either. Mind you, this is scientifically interesting, but there really is no need to tie every technically interesting scientific discovery to the end of the world. Believe it or not, some of us like science for science's own sake.
Humanity's food crisis is a political problem, not a technical one.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Really the first? Vespa Orientalis has been shown to harvest sunlight for energy. Or does that not strictly count as photosnthesis?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa_orientalis
That's probably a type of photosynthesis - using sunlight to produce Vitamin D from cholesterol, which is a vital hormone that 80% of us are lacking.
You know, sunlight's purpose is not to cause cancer and cholesterol is not there to clog your arteries, nature has a purpose for everything.
Isn't this insect doing something like this coral symbiosis?
Do we really have to look for animals that photosynthesize? Why not stick with plants?
They're Namekians!
Been bonking the cabbage, eh?
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
How about instead of solving food distribution, we move people to where the food is? (apologies to Sam Kinison)
It's only fair, since some plants have evolved the ability to eat the way we do. There's enough sunlight and carbon dioxide for everybody! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivorous_plant Richard
Contrary to the summary fungi are incapable of photosynthesis.
Some fungi may have genes encoding caratenoids, but none are photosynthetic. Good summary as usual!
Why can't something be interesting and considered a breakthrough in any field of science and research still be conducted without it having to solve any type of crisis?
Especially when the connection to that crisis is made artificially in a summary, just to throw some glitter on a piece of scientific news?
Curiously yours, crip.
So, there will be a fight for becoming taller and broader, space on land will become so important that you have to almost root yourself there?
A lot of slashdotters love to rubbish media coverage of science. Well here's one of many examples where the news story is more balanced and revealing than the paper. No mention of feeding the world etc
From Nature's news story about this paper:
"When the researchers measured the aphids’ levels of ATP — the ‘currency’ of energy transfer in all living things — the results were striking. Green aphids, which contain high levels of carotenoids, make significantly more ATP than do white ones, which are almost devoid of these pigments. Moreover, ATP production rose when the orange insects — which contain an intermediate amount of carotenoids — were placed in the light, and fell when they were moved into the dark."
When the Republicans find out there's a photovoltaic bug they are gonna be pissed! They'll spend tens of millions trying to prove there's a coal powered bug.
Many coral and soft coral species do it as well -- some using symbionts, some directly -- and they are animals, not vegetable.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Yes, well, not all "purposes", as you miscast them, are benign, and nature's implementation can be pretty darned faulty, because the underlying mechanism is basically a random process that selects for stuff that works -- not that is optimal. E(e)volution is full of dead branches, and useless, dangerous, or outright fatal mutations. Let's not get too hand-wavy about "nature's purpose."
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Photosynthesis as far as we know, produces sugar - the one thing that aphids find in such overwhelming abundance in their food (plant sap) that they have to excrete most of it. On the surface, at least, it would seem surprising if they were to produce their own suger by means of photosynthesis; this is possibly just the summary that overinterprets the findings of the article, is my guess.
unless they are served with fava beans and a nice chianti.
Sorry, but gray text on gray background is making my eyes bleed.
Flying seeming like boarding a flying bus is a good thing and a sign of progress.
When things are new and undeveloped they seem unfamiliar and slightly scary; this makes them seem special. When they start seeming boring and banal that's a sign that the technology and process have matured to the point that it's no longer a big deal. It might seem a shame that flying has lost its "magic", but that's the price you pay for easy, safe air-travel.
Scientists have already discovered genes that allow animals to become bioluminescent. Combine these genes with the photosynthesis genes in livestock and no one will ever be hungry again!
If we have chickens with photosynthesis, can I eat them?
The people who are already there tend to get irate.
I believe John Scalzi already had this idea in his book Old Man's War wereby soldier bodies were built to include a bit of photosynthesis, making the bodies a lovely light green colour.
There may have been other science fiction that describes this, but that is one that came to mind recently.
Modding "funny" does not give the commenter karma; modding "insightful" does. This devalues "funny".
> if aphids are photosynthesizing like non-animals, it still could be one of the more remarkable findings in biology in recent memory, and may hold promise for helping address humanity's food crisis."
The part I don't get is this: are we supposed to start eating aphids, or genetically engineer humans to use photosynthesis? Inquiring minds want to know....