Elysia chlorotica,a sea slug,is an animal that has chloroplasts in its tissues as an adult but not when it is very young.What is the most likely explanation for this?
A) Some of the animal's mitochondria change into chloroplasts.
B) The chloroplasts were acquired by an ancestral form of sea slug and then passed down.
C) The animal evolved the ability to make chloroplasts.
D) The animal acquires chloroplasts through its diet of yellow-green algae.
E) The animal makes chloroplasts by being exposed to sunlight.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Elysia chlorotica sea slug acquires chloroplasts by consuming yellow-green algae, which it then incorporates into its own tissues. This is known as kleptoplasty, a process where an organism steals plastids, such as chloroplasts, from another organism and uses them for its own benefit. The chloroplasts continue to function within the slug's tissues, allowing it to photosynthesize and obtain energy from the sun.

Elysia Chlorotica,a Sea Slug,is an Animal That Has Chloroplasts in Its