Evolution is full of examples where one species takes over a trait of another, that was the result of adapting to environmental factors. This efficiency of species is quite extraordinary, as it is a shortcut used in order to survive. Humans are not immune to this approach. We are using processes that bacteria developed and utilize it in complex tasks like editing the genes. We know that this kind of technical symbiosis has existed since the beginning of life on this planet, but humans have the ability to follow these paths consciously.
Key Takeaways:
- Many decades ago, Lynn Margulis theorized that chloroplasts and mitochondria were originally free-living bacteria.
- Later, DNA sequencing confirmed that plant and animal cells contain descendants of bacterial life.
- The 2020 Nobel Prize was awarded for the development of CRISPR-Cas, a gene-editing technique that borrows from bacteria.
“The more we look, the more we find that traits can appear in one species only to be borrowed, stolen, and modified for new uses by another.”
Read more: https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/evolution-innovation-thievery-endosymbiotic-theory
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