Please comment on this post, and write a brief response to the article "Green Sea Slug."
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/green-sea-slug/
Think about this organism--what strikes you as interesting? What adaptations does it have? How is it different from other organisms with similar abilities? Where in the world do we group this organism using our current 6 Kingdom taxonomic system? What shared traits does it have with other organisms and what characters are derived?
You do not have to answer all these questions, but be thoughtful and creative in your response, demonstrating your knowledge of concepts used in class. Also, check out your classmates posts and build upon their comments.
I think that this article about the Green Slug was incredibly intriguing. I found it fascinating that this slug is classified as both a plant and an animal. The fact that this organism has chlorophyll, a chemical found only in plants, in its body is somewhat amazing. I found it incredibly interesting that the chlorophyll is not stored in the slug but that the slugs can actually lift the chemical from the algae that they eat in the water. I also like that they not only pick it up when they dine on the algae but that the slugs are also able to make their own chlorophyll. The article claims that Pierce discovered the fact that the slugs are able to produce the chemicals by themselves by using a radioactive tracer. I thought that this was interesting because of the science that Pierce used to figure out just how the slug got chlorophyll in the system. I am not sure where we would be able to classify this organism on the taxonomic system simply because it is a plant and an animal. The scientists are even confused as to what kind of organism this slug is because it plays the role of a plant and animal ! I think that this animal showed adaptation simply because it adapted to its environment by eating the algae that stored chlorophyll. When the organism did this it began having chlorophyll in its system this made it so that the organism evolved and its offspring now has chlorophyll without even having to eat the algae. I found that this article was very interesting because I never knew that an organism could be this difficult to classify. I also never knew that an organism could be considered both a plant and an animal.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the Green Sea Slug article was very interesting. It is strange to think that this slug could be a fusion between a plant and an animal. This slug is able to produce a form of chlorophyll, which is usually only found in plants. This pigment is a source of energy that plants use and is captured from sunlight. Most animals are heterotrophic, which means that they consume other animals as a source of energy. This slug, however, defies the normalcy of what people expect of an animal. The slug gains it energy by sunbathing through the chlorophyll. After the slug first eats a bit of Vaucheria algae for the first time in its life, it will never have to eat again. It therefore adapted to its environment by taking advantage of the Vaucheria algae and giving itself the leisure of being able to sunbathe to gain energy. Over time, the slug continued to evolve into this creature that is able to act like a plant by being able to obtain chlorophyll as energy. I think it is fascinating that this animal is able to do this because one could then assume that the slug is a mixture of both a plant and an animal. This makes it difficult to group this animal/plant in our six Kingdom taxonomic system because scientists are not really sure what it really is.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I found it interesting that this Green Sea Slug is both identified as an animal and a plant. By looking at the picture, the slug has the look of a plant and can easily camouflage itself. As Pierce explained, the sea slug creates a pigment (Chlorophyll a) themselves and do not rely of chlorophyll reserves stolen from the algae the slugs dine on. It is interesting because this pigment is only found in plants and is very odd that this slug can create the pigment on its own. Also, the slug never has to eat again once it has its first chloroplast mean from the Vaucheria Algae. The slug has used this algae to sunbathe itself to gain its energy. This slug is very hard to place in the taxonomic system for many reasons. It is both a plant and animal and scientists do not know where to place it in the system.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very surprising to me. I didn't even know it was possible for something to be part animal and part plant. I loved the part where some super smart scientist could only say, "“This could be a fusion of a plant and an animal — that’s just cool." I pretty much shared his feelings. The slug is almost like a solar powered animal. It can use chlorophyl as energy, and it gets that chlorophyl from being in the sun. Talk about a great job. The slug has adapted from a normal slug into an organism that has mimicked the functions of the algae around it by turning light into energy that it can sustain itself with. It shares many traits of a regular sea animal with others, such as the ability to live under water. However, it is different than the others in that it doesn't necessarily need to eat to survive. The article mentions that these slugs can go for their whole lifetime with one meal if they are getting plenty of sunlight in. So in that way it reminds me of a camel that almost never has to drink. Except I think the slug is more interesting. As far as how to classify it goes, I would have no idea what grouping to put it in. I feel bad for whoever has that job. I guess they could make a new group for planimals, but that's just my opinion. I think it's kind of funny that this slug functions as a plant would because in the picture of it in the article, it looks like a leaf. This slug shows an astounding fusion between plant and animal life and makes me wonder what other 'crossovers' there will be as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteThis is crazy. It seems like maybe these scientist have some figuring out to do in regards to this organism. It probably needs to be reclassified, but it doesn't really have a place. Is it an animal with plant characteristics, or is it a plant with animal characteristics. It's so strange that something as plant oriented as chlorophyl could suddenly end up in an animal. I wonder if there are other organisms out there that have done this. I wonder if there are plants that have become part animal over time. It makes me wonder about the venus fly trap and if maybe it has a common ancestor with some animal. It seems unlikely, but then again so does this green sea slug. Who knows what interesting organisms could arise in the future and what could have been here in the past.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very cool how the Slug "stole" the necesary components to undergo photosynthesis. I personally never would have thought such a cool little guy existed. I would like to know how they classified the Green Sea Slug, ex what family-phylum-species etc it is in. Also i would like to know the exact dimensions of the Slug, because it looks like a microscope picture. Again I think it is very cool how the slug defies what most people thought previously, and the leaf shape is awsome. To answer the questions, I think it would have to go with the other slugs, perhaps in a different sub-group. my reasoning is it really takes the the ability to photosyntehis, and therefore is just a slug with a very cool adaption. It is different from other slugs in that it is a specialist, and only needs to eat a few times in its life. Elysia chlorotica is also unique that while other plant-eaters eat the leaves/algae/seaweed for nutrients, in the form of directly converting the whole thing into energy, the Slug harnesses the ability the plants have in order to eat less and have an easier time.
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ReplyDeleteEverything about this creature is interesting but also very shocking and bizarre, who knew an animal could create chlorophyll. This article is just another example of all of the unknown things that are waiting to be discovered. What is interesting about the Green Sea Slug is that it is “a fusion of a plant and an animal.” (John Zardus). This animal has stolen enough from the algae the feed on that it can now produce chlorophyll by itself. What is different between the Green Sea Slug and other animals with similar functions is that some slugs can feed of algae and chloroplast once and it can fill them for nearly a year. Another question is where do you put an animal that is also classified as a plant. The only suggestion I have is either put them in the two categories (if that is even allowed) or create a brand new category because there may be another situation like this in the future. The article mentioned that sea slug eggs, which have never been in contact with algae, are containing photosynthetic genes. This must mean that the sea slugs are adapting to their environment and are slowing changing to better fit their environment.
I had no idea that an organism could be plant and an animal at the same time. This is amazing to me. Another fact that that intrigued me was that it can consume it's first chloroplast meal and the slug does not have to eat again of the rest of its life. All it has to do is collect sunlight. The slug has it made considering almost all other organisms have to continue to "eat" to gain nutrition. It sounds similar to flowers because it uses photosynthesis for energy. But the difference is that a flower cannot consume one dose of chloroplast and be set for life. It would be hard to classify the Green Sea Slug because it's both plant and animal. It's like a crossover of organisms.
ReplyDeleteThe Green Sea Slug article was a very interesting piece. Up until now, it hasn’t been thought of that there could be a crossover of a plant and an animal. The GSS deserves a kingdom of its own if it is going to cross boundaries like that. I thought it was really interesting that it only has to eat once in its life, and then all it has to do it stay in the sun. That kind of seemed like a camel to me, because they don’t get dehydrated easily. It shares the traits of plants, in the way that it uses chlorophyll (which is typically only found in plants), but it also caries animalistic characteristics, like physically consuming its food.
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