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Meet the Eukaryote, the First Cell to Get Organized

quantamagazine.org
submitted
6 mos ago
byvaliantexplorertoscience

Summary

The eukaryote’s debut transformed the planet. All complex multicellular life — indeed, all life that any of us regularly see — is made of eukarian cells.

The first eukaryotic cell evolved from a bacterial cell 2 billion years ago. That bacterium evolved to become the organelle we now know as the mitochondrion. Eukaryotes have evolved or procured additional organelles that assemble proteins, store water, get rid of waste.

The first eukaryote engulfed a cyanobacterium capable of photosynthesis. Eukaryotes have since spread across the world, breaking out of primordial pools.

Ettema went looking for that mysterious first host cell in a field of sulfide chimneys. Underwater vents are good candidates for the nursery of that original cell.

Asgards are thought to be the closest prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes. Modern Asgards aren’t our ancestors, but we likely share an ancestor somewhere in deep time.

The eukaryotic genome is a Frankenstein mashup of genes originating from archaea and bacteria. Researchers debate whether the mitochondrial bacterium, likely from a diverse and ancient class known as alphaproteobacteria, was even the first endosymbiont.

 slot one-armed bandit maze labyrinth Petri dish tray-0
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9 Comments

4
throwschen
6 mos ago
I can't tell you how happy I was to see to be thinking about the mitochondria being the powerhouse of the cell and there they brought it in lol
3
fitasafiddle
6 mos ago
Why is it this is the damn phrase we all remember?!
3
valiantexplorerOP
6 mos ago
We all had the same books I think
2
fitasafiddle
6 mos ago
That would make sense... A little scary though
3
justadev
6 mos ago
This author has a great writing style! This is how every teacher that I enjoyed explained things.
3
valiantexplorerOP
6 mos ago
It's pretty engaging, not gonna lie
2
wildhorses
6 mos ago
Seriously, it's like a nice fireside chat
2
justadev
6 mos ago
Wish I could write like this 😔 I always come off robotic and asshole-ish
2
wildhorses
6 mos ago
Just work on it! Practice makes perfect and all that