photosynthesis

1. 70

   dinkan53posted 14 years ago

   That green plants can produce their own food by photosynthesis using sunlight is common knowldge. But if someone claims that an organism can acquire the ability to photosynthesise simply by eating plants one would laugh at it. Is it true?

   replyreport
   1. 0

      thetruthhurts2009posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The real question is how could  photosynthesis ever evolve?

      replyreport
   2. 61

      DogSiDaedposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This does not work. Simply eating plants does not give one different genetics. This code stays the same and our bodies will react in the same way, we are not photoautotrophs, and cannot gain this ability by eating plants. To say this would true would be like saying that if you eat fish you can breathe underwater

      replyreport
      1. 63

         sensu0sposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Nice explanation and I completely agree

         replyreport
   3. 59

      Pr0metheusposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      When I was attending high school there was a biology teacher who would drink chlorophyll in an attempt to photosynthesize... it never worked.
      
      P.S. And by that logic, wouldn't every herbivore be able to photosynthesize?

      replyreport
      1. 63

         sensu0sposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         

         replyreport
2. 61

   Leelinposted 14 years ago

   Yeah I think so.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      dinkan53posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I heard that animal can!is there any evidence for this?

      replyreport
      1. 61

         Leelinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I'm not too sure?

         replyreport
3. 61

   DogSiDaedposted 14 years ago

   It is worth noting that some bacteria can photosynthesise however

   replyreport
4. 59

   paul_gibsonsposted 14 years ago

   no, simply by eating plants an animal will not be "converted". That doesn't mean though that interesting associations cannot occur, although I am hard-put to think of one involving an animal and a plant at the moment. Certainly some plants that cannot photosynthesize use others that can and form a frequently but not always mutually dependent or beneficial permanent bond.
   
   Another question is of course COULD it occur.... never say never. There are some odd examples (or in the view of some, odd theories) that show that a coming together of two organisms at the cellular level can or could result in one single independent organism from then on. Margulis's Endosymbiotic Theory is a nice example of that. Might not seem much, two cells but... those cells multiplied together make you and me, animals, plants.... if she was right (she was very pretty and married to Carl Sagan but that isn't quite enough evidence...).

   replyreport