by Katelyn Sigworth, Belleville High School

Where do mitochondria and chloroplasts come from?

Introduction

Before we begin...

Let's review what we learned yesterday. Take a look at

Eukaryotic Cells and notice how complex they are compared to

Prokaryotic Cells.

     Archae are known as "ancient" bacteria. If you want to know more about them, click here (this is optional!)

Image:http://fusionanomaly.net/mitochondria.html

 

 

 

Introduction to the WebQuest:

By now you have become familiar with some of the parts of a eukaryotic cell. Now it is time to take a closer look at two very special organelles: mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Did you know that mitochondria (and chloroplasts), unlike the other organelles, have their own DNA that is not related to the DNA in the nucleus of the cell? In fact, DNA in the mitochondria is hardly like the DNA in the nucleus at all!

So here's the big question:

Where did mitochondria and chloroplasts come from?

In this activity, we will examine mitochondria and chloroplasts in greater detail to try and explain these mysteries.