Chemoplast

Organelle Details
Chemoplast
Base Cost (MP)	45
Requires Nucleus	Yes
Processes	Chemosynthesis
Enzymes	None
Size (Hexes)	2
Osmoregulation Cost	2
Storage	1
Unique	No
Upgrades	None
Internal Name	chemoplast

A eukaryotic organelle used to perform Chemosynthesis, the process of converting Hydrogen Sulfide into Glucose using environmental Carbon Dioxide . It performs this process more efficiently than its prokaryotic counterpart, Chemosynthesizing Proteins.

Requirements

A cell must have a Nucleus to evolve Chemoplasts.

Processes

Chemosynthesis: Hydrogen Sulfide + CO2 → Glucose

A method of Glucose synthesis. Requires Hydrogen Sulfide and the rate of the reaction scales with environmental Carbon Dioxide . It is superior to the similar process performed in Chemosynthesizing Proteins.

Modifications

No modifications.

Effects

No effects.

Upgrades

No upgrades.

Strategy

Like Chemosynthesizing Proteins, this organelle gives a cell access to abundant Hydrogen Sulfide in certain patches. As environmental concentrations of Glucose decay throughout the game, it's advisable to find other energy sources, and Hydrogen Sulfide may well be an appropriate one for your cell if you stay in the volcanic vents.

We recommend replacing Chemosynthesizing Proteins with Chemoplasts after evolving a Nucleus, as the latter are more efficient.

Scientific Background

While there are no real-world microbes with organelles called "chemoplasts", chemosynthesis is a metabolic process found in many microbial taxa. Given the existence of mitochondria and chloroplasts, both of which are membrane-bound organelles which arose via endosymbiosis, it seems quite plausible that a chemoplast-like organelle could similarly evolve from a chemosynthetic microbe that became engulfed by a larger cell.