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Mistletoe's cells are broken at a fundamental level - Most people know mistletoe (Viscum album) primarily as a plant to hang up and kiss under at the holidays. But in its natural environment, mistletoe is a hemiparasite (a parasitic plant that is capable of some photosynthesis), latching onto trees and extracting water and nutrients from them. But recent studies show that mistletoe's parasitic lifestyle has led the species to a rather surprising evolutionary loss. Mistletoe lacks key components of the cellular machinery other organisms depend upon to convert glucose into the energy-carrying molecule ATP. It is not clear how it survives without this ability. Perchance the power of a kiss!
