Question

Why do organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own DNA?(1 point)%0D%0AResponses%0D%0A%0D%0AThey are responsible for their own replication and division inside the cell.%0D%0AThey are responsible for their own replication and division inside the cell.%0D%0A%0D%0AThey used to be free-living prokaryotes that functioned as unicellular organisms.%0D%0AThey used to be free-living prokaryotes that functioned as unicellular organisms.%0D%0A%0D%0ADNA is used to code for proteins, which these organelles synthesize.%0D%0ADNA is used to code for proteins, which these organelles synthesize.%0D%0A%0D%0AAll organelles have their own DNA, and these two demonstrate that property.

Answer 1

The correct response to why organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own DNA is:

**They used to be free-living prokaryotes that functioned as unicellular organisms.**

This concept is part of the endosymbiotic theory, which suggests that these organelles originated from free-living bacteria that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells, leading to a symbiotic relationship. Over time, they became integral components of the eukaryotic cell and retained some of their own genetic material.