Thylakoids
| Organelle Details | |
|---|---|
| Thylakoids |  |
| |
| Base Cost (MP) | 50 |
| Requires Nucleus | No |
| Processes | Chromatophore Photosynthesis, Glycolysis |
| Enzymes | None |
| Size (Hexes) | 1 |
| Osmoregulation Cost | 1 |
| Storage | 0.5 |
| Unique | No |
| Upgrades | None |
| Internal Name | chromatophore |
Clusters of proteins and photosensitive green pigments. The pigments use energy from Sunlight 
to produce Glucose 
from water and gaseous Carbon Dioxide 
in a process called Chromatophore Photosynthesis. Since the rate of Glucose production scales with intensity of Sunlight , Thylakoids are only effective in patches near the surface.
Prokaryotic form of the Chloroplast, which performs the full-strength version of Photosynthesis.
Requirements
If organelle upgrades are enabled in game settings, the following condition must be true for the player cell:
- Is in a patch with at least 20% Sunlight .
Processes
Chromatophore Photosynthesis: Sunlight + Carbon Dioxide → Glucose + Oxygen 
Now you can eat Sunlight . Taste the sun. Note Thylakoids can't perform Chromatophore Photosynthesis in dark patches, and the closer to the surface a cell travels, the more effective this process is.
Glycolysis: Glucose → ATP 
Since Thylakoids are suspended directly in the Cytoplasm, the surrounding fluid performs Glycolysis.
Modifications
No modifications
Effects
No special effects.
Upgrades
No upgrades.
Strategy
In patches with high levels of Sunlight , a single hex with Thylakoids is a self-sustaining energy factory. Via Chromatophore Photosynthesis and then Glycolysis, they essentially generate free energy.
They are though only viable in surface-level patches such as the epipelagic or tidepools. It's vital to ensure you currently live in a valid patch before transitioning to this energy generation method. Once established, building an effective photosynthesizer is as simple as ensuring that there is net positive Glucose production in the cell and enough energy to sustain it. Further, much of a cell's energy consumption is from movement, so sitting still can drastically increase net Glucose production.
If the day/night cycle is enabled in game settings, building an effective photosynthetic cell can be challenging. Place as many photosynthesizing parts as you can afford to ensure maximum Glucose production, as well as parts with decent storage (such as Vacuoles) to build up storage for the night ahead. We recommend sitting still at night to consume less energy, or otherwise pursue prey if you have a mixotrophic setup. We also recommend reproducing around morning when lux levels begin to rise, as after reproducing you will have halved your stores of Glucose .
Scientific Background
TBA