The evolution of eukaryotic cells most likely involved
A) anaerobic archaea taking up residence inside a larger bacterial host cell to escape toxic oxygen-the anaerobic bacterium evolved into chloroplasts.
B) acquisition of an endomembrane system and subsequent evolution of mitochondria from a portion of the Golgi apparatus.
C) an endosymbiotic fungal cell evolving into the nucleus.
D) endosymbiosis of an aerobic bacterium in a larger host cell-the endosymbiont evolved into mitochondria.
E) evolutionary processes independent from prokaryotic cells, as the eukaryotic cells were found in an environment richer in oxygen.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The endosymbiotic theory proposes that eukaryotic cells evolved from prokaryotic cells through the process of endosymbiosis. Specifically, it suggests that the mitochondria in eukaryotic cells evolved from an aerobic bacterium that was engulfed by a larger host cell. This is the most widely accepted explanation for the evolution of eukaryotic cells.

The Evolution of Eukaryotic Cells Most Likely Involved