Are mitochondria an endosymbiont?

This view is linked to the ideas that the mitochondrial endosymbiont was an obligate aerobe, perhaps similar in physiology and lifestyle to modern Rickettsia species; and that the initial benefit of the symbiosis might have been the endosymbiont's ability to detoxify oxygen for the anaerobe host. read more

Mitochondrial ribosomes and transfer RNA molecules are similar to those of bacteria, as are components of their membrane.These and related observations led Dr. Lynn Margulis, in the 1970s, to propose an extracellular origin for mitochondria. read more

An endosymbiont or endobiont is any organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism in a symbiotic relationship with the host body or cell, often but not always to mutual benefit. The term endosymbiosis is from the Greek: ἔνδον endon"within", σύν syn"together" and βίωσις biosis"living"). read more

The mitochondria of eukaryotes evolved from an aerobic bacterium (probably related to the rickettsias) living within an archaeal host cell. The chloroplasts of red algae, green algae, and plants evolved from an endosymbiotic cyanobacterium living within a mitochondria-containing eukaryotic host cell. read more