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The Theory Of The Serial Endosymbiotic Theory

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The Serial Endosymbiotic Theory (SET) was a hypothesized process by which prokaryotes give rise to the first eukaryotic (an organism which contains a nucleus and organelles enclosed within a membrane ). Was pioneered in the 1960’s by the seminal work of Lynn Margulis. This theory attempts to explain the origins of eukaryotic cell organelles, specifically the mitochondria (providing the cells ATP (used for the cells metabolism) supply used by the cell as chemical energy ). With the theory suggesting that the mitochondria and plastids within a eukaryotic cell were once independent prokaryotic cells (a single celled organism, which contains a nucleus and other organelles that are absent of a membrane ), having been obtained by another organism through endosymbiosis, to become endosymbiot around 1.5 billion years ago. Where the eukaryotes several key organelles originated through a process called symbiosis, with this occurring between separate single celled organisms (prokaryotic cells). Through research and locating molecular and biochemical evidence, it suggests that the mitochondrion developed from proteobacteria, and chloroplast from cyanobacteria.

The first sign of a potential relationship between chloroplasts and the cyanobacteria, started with Konstantin Mereschkowski. Through observation in 1883, and working closely with fellow botanists Andrea Schimper. He saw that the division of chloroplasts closely resembled that of the independent prokaryote cyanobacteria.

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