Photosynthetic organelles in the eukaryotic cells were developed through endosymbiosis – the process during which a photosynthetic bacterium or an eukaryotic alga was swallowed by a non-photosynthetic eukaryote. As a result of this phenomenon, phototropism spread among eukaryotes of different kingdoms. However, many of these organisms lost photosynthesis during later evolution. Apart from gaining photoautotrophy, endosymbiosis has serious consequences for the mosaic composition of the eukaryotic genome and for its acquisition of new characteristics and abilities.
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© M. Oborník