Salamander is world's first photosynthetic vertebrate
A solar salamander? Scientists find photosynthetic organisms living inside a vertebrate's cells for the first time.
SOLAR-MANDER: The spotted salamander's embryos have symbiotic algae living inside them. (Photo: Wiki Commons/public domain) Comments
It sounds like something bats should look into.
Can you imagine if we can somehow incorporate photosynthesis in our species. Just think, our sense of nutrients could primarily be a constantly renewable source of energy every day. Food would be a secondary option, world hunger a thing of the past. It might even encourage more research onto solar energy and help our energy crisis. Imagine if we made a break-trough in Sun-science: BOOM! no world hunger and no energy bill. Nice.
Imagine now people turning from 6 bilion to 12 bi. It`s the end of the world...
According to the paper, in the adult salamander, photosynthetic cells are present only in female ovarian ducts.
Only the embryos seem to get food from photosynthesis. This is because it is a small organism in which the ratio area per volume is large. In adults, where most cells are internalized and the area per volume ratio is much lower, energy production by photosynthesis may not be sufficient to feed the salamander.
So it won't be able to feed human beings neither.
Yeah, minus if you lived in a high UV area you would become obese...
It would be a diminishing return due to the surface area / mass ratio. The advantage tiny Ambystomatid larvae have a far greater surface / mass ratio so the increase in metabolic processes really gives them a jumpstart on growth, enough for the larvae to increase their mass early on to become large enough to leave the water quickly and have a terrestrial advantage.
What are the chances we could manipulate the human body to accomodate photosynthetic organisms? I have always maintained that we as humans inhibit our own evolution by denying natural selection. Maybe its time we moved forward. It would certainly shed new light on the world hunger crisis.
Dude, I was thinking the same thing!
We already do exhibit a very primitive form of photosynthesis, while it may not be in the form of energy, exposure to sunlight does allow certain chemical reactions to take place.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanin#Human_adaptation
The pigment in our skin allows us to be photoperiodic, i.e. wake up with the sun and sleep at night. During.... More
Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland when light hits the retina at a certain angle, (sundown) helping us relax and move toward sleep. (Persistence of light in urban has been linked to insomnia)
Your skin doesn't help you sleep.
Also, you are thinking of eugenics, not Social Darwinism.
Very interesting and not really surprised that it occurs. Isn't it highly likely that mitochondria were once seperate organisms?
I've been working on this theory 4 years! Now maybe my professors will take me seriously!!!
The adaptive immune system actually functions purely in the intercellular spaces so could not possibly detect and destroy foreign material within the bodies own cells (this -and hypervariable surface receptor proteins- is why HIV is such and aggresive pathogen).
This is actually not true. The adaptive immune response deals with both extracellular and intracellular pathogens, via the use of Cytotoxic T cells, which recognize the surface antigen Human Leukocyte Antigen 1 (HLA1 also known as MHC1) which are constantly processign and presenting peptides found inside the cell. When a cell is infected, unique antigens of the organisms are presented. All viruses and many bacteria and parasites live intracellularly, and this is our nature immune response. The.... More
Also, doesn't the bodies immune response continually destroy the HIV virus in its infective and active state? From my studies, I understand that HIV only starts to kill when dormant viral genetic material becomes active and decimates T helper populations. To do this, it has to incorporate into the host DNA.
Wouldn't cytotoxic T cells be expected to neutralise any cells presenting endogenously sourced antigens from intracellular pathogens on MHC class 1 molecules?
The mammalian (amphibians have fairly similar) adaptive immune system mostly consists of two units. These are humoral (antibody/B-cell mediated) and cellular (mediated by T-Cells, a subset of which is attacked by HIV). It is true that the humoral subset of the adaptive immune system targets intercellular antigens (molecules that are recognized as "foreign"). However, the cellular component is capable of recognizing intracellular antigens. The method is via MHC I presentation to cytotoxic.... More
I had never seen a large salamander before seeing these bulgy eyes looking at me. It was not spotted and was about 7" long nose to end of tail. I like lizards, snakes, some insects and other creatures, but this critter gave me jolt - it was the Betty Davis eyes. I keep looking for it daily, but guess it only wanted to give me one chance. I find your article extremely interesting. Maybe Betty will lay eggs and let me see them.
:)
Dawn of the Ents.
