7. The origins of eukaryotes: Endosymbiosis, the strange story of introns, and the ultimate importance of unique events in evolution
Organisms with large, complex cells are known as eukaryotes—that is, possessing bona fide nuclei. These organisms include the three kingdoms of multicellular life forms, plants, brown algae, and animals, as well as a huge variety of unicellular forms (also known as protists). Eukaryotic cells typically are orders of magnitude bigger than prokaryotic cells and possess complex intracellular organization with diverse membrane-bounded organelles, including the eponymous nucleus and the mitochondria that evolved from endosymbiotic bacteria. Thus, by any reasonable criteria, eukaryotic cells are dramatically more complex ...
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