Question

Are chloroplasts prokaryotic?

Answer 1

Hint: Chloroplasts are organelles that perform photosynthesis, where photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it in ATP and NADPH energy storage molecules while releasing oxygen from water in plant and algal cells.

Complete answer:
The endosymbiotic theory deals with the origins of mitochondria and chloroplasts, two eukaryotic organelles with bacterial characteristics. Mitochondria and chloroplasts are believed to have developed from symbiotic bacteria, specifically alpha-proteobacteria and cyanobacteria. The theory is that a prokaryotic cell has been consumed or engulfed by a larger cell.

The prokaryotic organelle was not consumed for some unknown reason. Such lack of consumption would later lead to the development of mutualism between the two cells, which would benefit one another from survival. Over time, the newly combined organelle would develop into today's complex eukaryotic cell. Endosymbiotic theory has been widely accepted as one of the possibilities of the origin of mitochondria, chloroplasts, and other eukaryotic organelles and cells.

Mitochondria and chloroplast are two organelles that have been found in eukaryotic cells. Chloroplast is found only in plants, while most eukaryotic cells have mitochondria. Although both organelles are found in eukaryotic cells, both mitochondria and chloroplast are often found in prokaryotic cells.

These prokaryotic cell characteristics include: enclosed double membrane, circular DNA, and bacteria-like ribosomes. Mitochondria and chloroplast both perform prokaryotic activities. Mitochondria performs breathing while chloroplast performs photosynthesis.

Thus, Chloroplasts and mitochondria are prokaryotes. They have genes of their own on a small, circular chromosome, but no nucleus. This chromosome has little non-coding DNA, similar to bacteria. Chloroplasts and mitochondria also make some of their own gene proteins.

Note: Both chloroplasts and mitochondria produce ATP by chemiosmosis, but use different energy sources. Mitochondria transfers chemical energy from food to ATP. Chloroplasts transform light energy into ATP chemical energy. Mitochondria may be found in animal cells, and chloroplasts may be found in plant cells. In mitochondria, protons are pumped into the intermembrane space and ATP synthesis. In chloroplasts, protons are pumped into thylakoid space, and ATP synthesis is driven back into stroma.