Chapter 14, Problem 27A

Summary Introduction

To analyze:

The most important evidence of endosymbiotic hypothesis.

Introduction:

Endosymbiotic hypothesis states that mitochondria and chloroplasts arose from the bacteria which enters a eukaryotic cell to form a symbiotic relationship.

Explanation of Solution

Mitochondria and aerobic bacteria both share similar characteristic feature as they both use oxygen in the production of ATP and both uses this by using Kreb’s cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.

Similarly chloroplasts and photosynthetic bacteria are similar in function as they both have chlorophyll pigment which harness light energy and convert it into chemical energy.

Size of mitochondria and chloroplasts are similar with that of bacteria. As bacteria have their own DNA, RNA, and ribosomes; similarly mitochondria and chloroplasts also have their own genetic material and ribosomes for protein synthesis.

Similarities between both of them show that this is a strong evidence.

Conclusion

Thus, similarities in the genome sequence and in the function shows that mitochondria and chloroplasts exist in symbiotic relationship with the species to which they are closely related.

This concludes that ancestors of eukaryotic cells lived in association with prokaryotic cells.