Sunday, January 17, 2010

You are what you eat--proven by science!

You better be careful what you eat!. I recently read a news item about sea slugs who get the ability to produce their own food from the algae they eat.

Yes it is true. Here is a link to the story: Sea slug surprise: It’s half-plant, half-animal



Here is an excerpt from the article:



The sneaky slugs seem to have stolen the genes that enable this skill from algae that they've eaten. With their contraband genes, the slugs can carry out photosynthesis — the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy.

"They can make their energy-containing molecules without having to eat anything," said Sidney Pierce, a biologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa.


So the phrase-- "You are what you eat" is really true, it seems. The permutations on this are endless.

I have played with sea slugs in the warm Atlantic Ocean waters off Key West. Who knew that such a seemingly passive creature could be so devious?


So next time you want to have one more piece of that high calorie pie--remember the sea slug--you really are (or become) what you eat!

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