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

Answer 1

Mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own DNA because they used to be free-living prokaryotes that functioned as unicellular organisms. This is supported by the endosymbiotic theory, which suggests that these organelles originated from once-independent prokaryotic cells that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells. Over time, they became integral components of those cells, retaining their own DNA and machinery for protein synthesis and replication.