The second law of thermodynamics dictates that all living organisms require an exogenous
energy source for growth, development and reproduction. Whilst heterotrophic organisms …

The ancestors of modern cyanobacteria invented O2-generating photosynthesis some 3.6
billion years ago. The conversion of water and CO2 into energy-rich sugars and O2 slowly …

It is difficult to overstate the role of endosymbiosis in the evolution of eukaryotic cells. The
endosymbiosis that gave rise to plastids (chloroplasts), the light-harvesting organelles of …

The amazing diversity of extant photosynthetic eukaryotes is largely a result of the presence
of formerly free-living photosynthesizing organisms that have been sequestered by …

Some eukaryotic groups carry out photosynthesis thanks to plastids, which are
endosymbiotic organelles derived from cyanobacteria. Increasing evidence suggests that …

The endosymbiotic, cyanobacterial nature of plastids is clearly established, but several
fundamental issues concerning the origin and early evolution of plastids remain unresolved …

Plants and algae acquired photosynthesis through the assimilation of a prokaryotic
endosymbiont related to the ancestors of modern-day cyanobacteria. This landmark event …

Plastids evolved from a cyanobacterium that was engulfed by a heterotrophic eukaryotic
host and became a stable organelle. Some of the resulting eukaryotic algae entered into a …

A recent hypothesis on the origin of eukaryotic phototrophs proposes that red algae, green
plants (land plants plus green algae), and glaucophytes constitute the primary …

A comprehensive understanding of the origin and spread of plastids remains an important
yet elusive goal in the field of eukaryotic evolution. Combined with the discovery of new …