The idea that mitochondria and chloroplasts descended from free living prokaryotes engulfed by ancestral cells is called the

  • A. cell theory
  • B. germ theory
  • C. theory of biogenesis
  • D. endosymbiotic theory

Explanation

The endosymbiotic theory is supported by the double membranes, circular DNA and 70S ribosomes of both organelles. Cell theory states that all organisms are made of cells, and germ theory links microbes to disease, so neither addresses organelle origins.

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