Mitochondria and plastids have their own DNA, their own membranes, and their rep
ID: 30952 • Letter: M
Question
Mitochondria and plastids have their own DNA, their own membranes, and their reproduction is not tied to the reproductive cycle of the host cell. However, they are considered to be organelles rather than a separate species in symbiosis with eukaryotes. Granted, mitochondria and plastids are incapable of living outside their parent cells, and likewise eukaryotes are incapable of surviving without the help of mitochondria and plastids. But this is also true of many other symbiotic pairs in Eukarya. So where does the distinction lie? What makes mitochondria and plastids organelles rather than separate organisms?
Explanation / Answer
I would say it has to do with the amount of mitochondrial or sequence that has been transferred to the host genome. As a consequence of all this information stored in the host genome, mitochondria cannot reproduce without the host. In this way, they are not their own organisms, but rather organelles.
Over evolutionary time, the line between organelle and intracellular endosymbiont gets blurry, but in their current state, mitochondria are organelles.
The same goes for for plastids, in general.