was chloroplast autotroph or heterotroph?

[joonkimdds]

Kaplan says chloroplasts were free living autotrophs. If they were autotrophs, they could just make energy by themselves so why did they invade the cell to survive?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Craigslist]

Someone correct me if i'm wrong since I am taking this from 2 year old memory, but Chloroplast was said to be evolved from cyanobacteria which are heterotrophs.

 

[nze82]

Kaplan says chloroplasts were free living autotrophs. If they were autotrophs, they could just make energy by themselves so why did they invade the cell to survive?

They did not invade the cell to survive! Eukaryotes engulfed them by mere chance, and then a symbiotic relationship was established between them. Remember, evolution does not occur to serve a specific purpose; it's the result of a series of RANDOM events!

 

[nze82]

Someone correct me if i'm wrong since I am taking this from 2 year old memory, but Chloroplast was said to be evolved from cyanobacteria which are heterotrophs.

Chloroplasts are definitely AUTOTROPHS since they have the photosynthetic capability!

 

[msu2010dtb]

same for mitochondria as well. The fact that they were endocytosed by eukaryotes also supports the notion for both of the organelles having their own unique DNA independent of the cell as well.

 

[doc3232]

Their benefit was protection. The bigger prokaryote protected the chloroplast.

 

[ladybug2]

Chloroplast was autotroph BUT mitochondria was heterotroph.

 

[TheBestDoctor]

mitochondria = heterotroph

 

[msu2010dtb]

mitochondria = heterotroph

I forgot to add that, I was actually talking to 2 of my roommates today about it (we're all microbio majors).