Which process was responsible for evolution of apicoplasts?
A) primary endosymbiosis
B) secondary endosymbiosis
C) gene migration
D) horizontal gene transfer

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Apicoplasts are non-photosynthetic plastids found in some protists, including apicomplexan parasites like Plasmodium. They are believed to have originated through secondary endosymbiosis, where an eukaryotic host cell engulfed another eukaryotic cell that already possessed a plastid through primary endosymbiosis. As a result, the apicoplast now has a reduced genome and specialized functions, such as fatty acid synthesis and iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. Gene migration and horizontal gene transfer can also play a role in the evolution of organelles, but they are not the primary mechanisms responsible for the origin of apicoplasts.

Which Process Was Responsible for Evolution of Apicoplasts