If some animals can photosynthesise, would it be possible to add it to humans? To stand in some sunlight and get energy to work out?

Question

Or being as it’s a sugar right, would I just become diabetic if I wasn’t working out constantly?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Photosynthesis, even under ideal conditions, would produce less than 10% the energy a human needs to survive (I can go through the maths if you want). But the cost of being photosynthetic is high because you need the appropriate cell structure which animals don’t have. While it may not be technically impossible for animals to have such an ability, the cost to benefit ratio simply isn’t there. It’s much more effective to use that energy and time building the photosynthesis cells to instead make bigger muscles so you can catch more food/run away from predators for example.

There is a reason plants don’t move around much.