Question

How did prokaryotes evolve?

Answer 1

Prokaryotes:

1. Prokaryotes include organisms that are devoid of any membrane-bound organelles.
2. The prokaryotic cell is enclosed by a single membrane and the cellular reactions occur in the cytoplasm.
3. These cells lack a distinct nucleus and the genetic content is present freely in a specialized region in the cytoplasm referred to as the nucleoid.

Evolution of prokaryotes:

1. It has been theorized that the first-ever prokaryotes appeared a billion years after the earth's crust formation.
2. They initially existed as non-oxygen synthesizing, photosynthetic bacteria that accumulated to form large mounds known as stromatolites.
3. Evolutionary studies reveal that the initial lineages of bacteria were anaerobic and existed in the Precambrian era.
4. Prokaryotic cells evolved to form eukaryotic cells according to the endosymbiotic theory.
5. The eukaryotic cells are developed by a symbiotic relationship between multiple prokaryotic cells.