Which of the following is true about how mitochondria were acquired by host cells? (1 point)

Question

Responses

A eukaryotic cell gave up its mitochondria to another cell through phagocytosis.
A eukaryotic cell gave up its mitochondria to another cell through phagocytosis.

A bacteria cell was engulfed into a host cell through the process of phagocytosis.
A bacteria cell was engulfed into a host cell through the process of phagocytosis.

The cell’s membrane folded inward, creating a pocket within itself called the mitochondria.
The cell’s membrane folded inward, creating a pocket within itself called the mitochondria.

A mitochondria cell’s membrane folded outward, creating a larger cell around itself.
A mitochondria cell’s membrane folded outward, creating a larger cell around itself.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

A bacteria cell was engulfed into a host cell through the process of phagocytosis.

This statement reflects the endosymbiotic theory, which suggests that mitochondria (and chloroplasts in plants) originated from free-living prokaryotic bacteria that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells. Over time, these bacteria formed a symbiotic relationship with the host cell, ultimately evolving into the organelles we know as mitochondria.