The slug, called Elysia chlorotica, converts solar energy into carbohydrates with photosynthetic organelles obtained from algae.

Scientists from Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA, discovered a sea snail named "Elysia chlorotica" in the Nova Scotia islands of Canada and the coast of Florida in the north of the American continent.

This mollusk, which feeds on algae, is about 5 centimeters in size. While feeding, the millions of plastids it receives from brown algae settle in the stomach area of the snail and perform the function of a small solar panel. Although the organelles are separated from the plant cell nucleus they are attached to, they can continue to function in photosynthesis in animal cells. This phenomenon is called kleptoplasty, and the origin of the word comes from the Greek suffix 'klepto', which means thief.

The main issue of interest is how chloroplasts can maintain their activity for a long time in animal cells. As a result of the research conducted in this direction, several possibilities have been put forward. One possibility is that the algae were processed in the snail's gut to carry this gene along with the chloroplasts into the cells. These genes are then combined with the snail's DNA, enabling the animal to produce the necessary proteins and enabling the "stolen" chloroplasts to function. One possibility is that the algae were processed in the snail's gut to carry this gene along with the chloroplasts into the cells. These genes are then combined with the snail's DNA, enabling the animal to produce the necessary proteins and the "stolen" chloroplasts to function. Another possibility is that a virus in the snail carries DNA from the algae cells to the snail cells, but according to Rumpho, there is no evidence confirming this assumption.

Professor Debashish Bhattacharya, who led the research says - "This study raises the issue of artificial photosynthesis. If we can understand how plastids isolated from plant cells work in animal cells, we can design "green machines" and produce bioenergy."