Did the ancestral eukaryotic cell with its nucleus and other organelles evolve first and then some eukaryotes got mitochondria or did the ancestral eukaryotic cell have mitochondria, according to SET?
2 answers
According to SET mitochondria evolved first and the fact that almost all eukaryotes have mitochondria supports this suggestion
It is believed that bacteria (prokaryotes) form a symbiotic relationship with eukaryotic cells. Theses small prokaryotes became a part of eukaryotes becoming the powerhouse. The powerhouse of the cukaryotic cells are known as mitochondria.