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$5a Although we hear a lot about the chloroplast and its origins, the evolution

ID: 146722 • Letter: #

Question

$5a Although we hear a lot about the chloroplast and its origins, the evolution of plastids (of which thioraplasts are just one type) does not end with that one organelle. Write a short essay discus ting evolutionary story behind plastids and their functions in plant cells. on the different types of plastids, their general functions within plant cell, and ing the fascinati be sure to touch now they are related to the other plastid types. If you really want to impress me, also discuss the genetic control of these amazing organelles

Explanation / Answer

Plastids are self-replicatory intracellular organelles found in photosynthetic organisms, including all plants and many prokaryotes. The organization and the function of plastids demonstrates their variety and diversity which is suggestive of the fact that these are much more than mere an organelle. The functional and physiological appearance of plastids demonstrate that they might have been evolved as an endo-symbiotic organelle inside a primitive prokaryotic host. This suggests that there might be a time when these organelles were capable of surviving on their own. However, the present theories state that eventual engulfment of these small organelles into a primitive prokaryotic cell promoted an endosymbiotic relationship between the two which in turn, promoted the mutually benefitted enhanced survival for both. Thus, slowly, their occured evolution of cells containing plastids which performed various vital functions for the cell. Importantly, these organelles do not reside under the genetic control of nuclear genome and contain their own double-stranded DNA. Thus, they can divide themselves and regulate their function by their own separate genetic control.

Together, these set of evidences demonstrate that plastids are a result of primitive endosymbiotic relationship between the primitive cells and with the course of evolution, these organelles have made a permanent irreplaceable place in the photosynthetic cells.