The Origin of Eukaryotic Cells
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, French, Russian and American scientists speculated that mitochondria contained hereditary information similar to that found in the nucleus. They hypothesized that mitochondria evolved as a result of a symbolic relationship between different types of bacteria. Attempts to culture mitochondria were unsuccessful, and given the popular view of bacteria as agents of disease, scientists generally disregarded the hypothesis that mitochondria evolved from symbiotic bacteria.
