The post Are Corals Plants, Animals, or Something Else Entirely? appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Corals are often mistaken as being rocks or plants, but this isn’t scientifically correct. They’re living organisms, unlike rocks, and they’re not capable of making their own food like plants, despite the fact they’re “taking root” to the seafloor and have a plant-like appearance.
It may be hard to believe, given their appearance, but corals are technically animals. They’re made up of many tiny genetically identical polyps, which use their short, tube-like tentacles to grab food from the water. Hundreds or even thousands of polyps can form a single coral, which then goes on to form complex ecosystems known as coral reefs.
In addition to being living organisms who eat, corals also get their energy from other places. They rely on photosynthesis, the process of turning carbon dioxide and water into food, drawing comparisons to plants. That doesn’t mean that corals can photosynthesize like plants—they simply share the food with their algae hosts, providing them with shelter in return.
The post Are Corals Plants, Animals, or Something Else Entirely? appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Are Corals Plants, Animals, or Something Else Entirely? appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Corals are often mistaken as being rocks or plants, but this isn’t scientifically correct. They’re living organisms, unlike rocks, and they’re not capable of making their own food like plants, despite the fact they’re “taking root” to the seafloor and have a plant-like appearance.
It may be hard to believe, given their appearance, but corals are technically animals. They’re made up of many tiny genetically identical polyps, which use their short, tube-like tentacles to grab food from the water. Hundreds or even thousands of polyps can form a single coral, which then goes on to form complex ecosystems known as coral reefs.
In addition to being living organisms who eat, corals also get their energy from other places. They rely on photosynthesis, the process of turning carbon dioxide and water into food, drawing comparisons to plants. That doesn’t mean that corals can photosynthesize like plants—they simply share the food with their algae hosts, providing them with shelter in return.
The post Are Corals Plants, Animals, or Something Else Entirely? appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
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