Question

Who was the major proponent of the endosymbiotic hypothesis?
A. Matthias Schleiden
B. Theodore Schwann
C. Rudolf Virchow
D. Lynn Margulis

Answer 1

Hint: Symbiogenesis or endosymbiotic theory is one of the most famous and leading theories of evolution. It deals with the theory that describes the origin of eukaryotic cells from a prokaryotic organism.
The term Symbiogenesis came from a Greek work where syn means together, bios means life and genesis origin or birth.

Complete answer: Scientist Lynn Margulis state about the ‘Origin of Mitoting Cells’ in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. He was widely renowned for his long-dormant endosymbiont hypothesis of organelle origins.
According to this endosymbiotic theory, new mitochondria and plastids can only be formed by binary fission. It was also evident that porins, the transport proteins, are found in the outer membranes of mitochondria and chloroplasts.
This is also found in the bacterial cell membranes.
The next evidence was on the cardiolipin, which is found only in the inner mitochondrial membrane and bacterial cell membranes.

Additional information: The endosymbiotic theory states that mitochondria and plastids are the descended of formerly free-living prokaryotic organism that is taken one organelle inside it during endosymbiosis.
The theory was first described by a Russian botanist named Konstantin Mereschkowski.
Later advanced and substantiated theory with proper microbiological evidence was given by scientists by Lynn Margulis in 1967.

So, the correct answer is option D. Lynn Margulis.

Note: The mitochondria and plastids contain single circular DNA molecules that are similar to the chromosomes of bacteria. These pieces of evidence prove the endosymbiotic theory.