Practice question · True or false
Mitochondria contain their own DNA and divide independently of the cell that hosts them.
Hints
- These are two of the classic lines of evidence for endosymbiosis.
- Both are exactly what a former free-living bacterium would retain.
Show the answer
True
Why
True, mitochondria keep a small circular genome and divide by fission on their own schedule, both hallmarks of their bacterial ancestry. It is also why mitochondrial DNA is inherited maternally and used to trace lineages.
Practise The First Cells and Endosymbiosis
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More questions on The First Cells and Endosymbiosis
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