First Evidence That Some Insects May Rely On Photosynthesis 107
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."
What food crisis? (Score:5, Insightful)
helping address humanity's food crisis. (Score:5, Insightful)
Humanity's food crisis is a political problem, not a technical one.
Re:What food crisis? (Score:1, Insightful)
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 ...
There are too many people now, and we have no control over our own global population growth. Arguing that there is currently no food crisis, but rather a distribution problem is specious.
Re:Another quality slashdot article on science! (Score:5, Insightful)
Considering how the peer-reviewed journal Nature ranks sixth overall [wikipedia.org] in terms of impact factor, my guess is that there's more to the publication (and TFA) than your summary of it suggests.
Re:People synthesize Vitamin D using sunlight (Score:5, Insightful)
nature has a purpose for everything.
Stop anthropomorphizing nature: it hates when you do it!
Re:What food crisis? (Score:5, Insightful)
There are too many people now
No, there's plenty of room [persquaremile.com] and we can feed them (to the extent that we don't put food into our gas tanks, anyhow).
and we have no control over our own global population growth
Education - it works every time it's tried. Parts of Europe are so 'successful' that their populations are shrinking. There are States that repress their people, but we'll get those dealt with one of these centuries.
Arguing that there is currently no food crisis, but rather a distribution problem is specious.
Or accurate, if you care to examine the data.
Re:What food crisis? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What food crisis? (Score:2, Insightful)
This is Malthusian nonsense. The problem is not that there's too many people; that's a first world way to blame the mismanagement of resources on third world countries.