Detection of organisms containing chlorophyll but not photosynthesis

In a study published in Nature in April 2019, scientists at the University of British Columbia (Canada) found the world's first creature produced chlorophyll but did not participate in photosynthesis. well suited.

Corallicolid lives parasites in corals.(Photo: UBC)

This strange animal lives parasitic in the stomach cavity of corals and is called corallicolid .

'Corallicolid lives with 70% of the corals present on Earth, and they have never been observed until now,' said Patrick Keeling, a member of the research team.

Chlorophyll - a green pigment found in plants and algae - is capable of absorbing sunlight energy to produce organic compounds during photosynthesis. If an organism absorbs only light with chlorophyll but does not photosynthesize to release energy, the creature will be in danger. Because chlorophyll was then like bombs in cells.

However, corallicolid is the exception. The team found corallicolid contained four genes coding for chlorophyll synthesis.

"We still don't know why corallicolid possesses these genes and they synthesize chlorophyll for what purpose ," Keeling said.