Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store
seo-qna
SearchIcon
banner

What evidence supports the bacterial origin of mitochondria?

Answer
VerifiedVerified
412.8k+ views
like imagedislike image
Hint: The origin of certain of the cell organelles seen in eukaryotic cells, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, can be traced back to the endosymbiotic idea. It's an example of a mutually beneficial connection.
According to the endosymbiotic theory, some cell organelles seen in eukaryotic cells, such as mitochondria and chloroplast, were formerly free-living prokaryotic organisms that began living in a symbiotic relationship with the eukaryotic organism after being absorbed by it.

Complete answer:
The size, structure, autonomous circular DNA, function, and other characteristics of mitochondria and bacteria are strikingly similar. Aerobic bacteria, such as purple bacteria, use oxygen to make ATP and perform the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
The bacterial origin of mitochondria has been supported by advances in molecular biology. The endosymbiont theory has been supported by genome sequencing and DNA cloning. The genome sequence of Rickettsia prowazekii reveals that all mitochondria are derived from the bacteria's endosymbiosis.
The fact that mitochondria and chloroplasts both have circular DNA, ribosomes, and are covered by double membranes proves that they were prokaryotic creatures. They have ribosomes of the 70S type, which are similar to those seen in prokaryotes.
Mitochondria and chloroplast are considered semi-autonomous organelles since they may function independently of the nucleus and require less command.
The mitochondria are thought to have originated as an aerobic prokaryotic bacterium that lived inside a eukaryotic cell and performed aerobic respiration for that cell.

Note:
Binary fission is a mechanism that occurs in both mitochondria and chloroplast in prokaryotes.
The matrix is the innermost part of mitochondria, whereas the stroma is the innermost section of chloroplasts.
The Svedberg (S) unit is used to represent ribosomes, and it represents the sedimentation rates of various ribosomes during centrifugation.
Latest Vedantu courses for you
Grade 10 | MAHARASHTRABOARD | SCHOOL | English
Vedantu 10 Maharashtra Pro Lite (2025-26)
calendar iconAcademic year 2025-26
language iconENGLISH
book iconUnlimited access till final school exam
tick
School Full course for MAHARASHTRABOARD students
PhysicsPhysics
BiologyBiology
ChemistryChemistry
MathsMaths
₹36,600 (9% Off)
₹33,300 per year
Select and buy