So I’ve been enjoying videos from Kurzgesagt and one in particular points to the valuable molecule ATP and I remember it from biology (https://youtu.be/QImCld9YubE). So while this talks about the very beginning of multicellular organisms I’ve never understood how an organism can absorb another and then make DNA so both organisms are created going forward.
In: 1
Kurzgesagt is awesome.
Well a lot of early evolution is still being sussed out. There are a lot of ways that the process could have happened, but what actually happened might be lost to time. The jump from single-cells to multiceullar life took a REALLY bloody long time. (And it’s a generally good idea and has independently happened multiple times). We’re talking [an astronomically long time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_evolutionary_history_of_life). 3/10th the lifecycle of a typical star.
Organisms eating other organisms happens all the time and is a pretty concept.
Taking DNA into oneself has the possibility of something happening with that data. Less so for humans and such because we drop it into a vat of acid down there, but single-celled organisms have their metaphorical stomach in the same place as where they keep their own DNA. Generally “inside the membrane”. Once inside, if it starts replicating itself, that’s a virus. If it breaks down into amino acids, that’s food. If it does something useful, maybe the host cell keeps it around and starts letting it replicate at least once.
Consider the horrifying [cymothoa exigua](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymothoa_exigua) which replaces a fish’s tongue. It’s a separate organism that slips in and takes up residence. Somehow it replicates and makes more of itself. Given time maaaaaaybe the host fish will get more involved with helping with the reproduction and getting into other fish’s mouths.
Latest Answers