Where did eukaryotic cells evolve from?

Answer 1

Yes.

Living things have evolved into three large clusters of closely related organisms, called "domains": Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota. Archaea and Bacteria are small, relatively simple cells surrounded by a membrane and a cell wall, with a circular strand of DNA containing their genes. They are called prokaryotes.

Virtually all the life we see each day - including plants and animals - belongs to the third domain, Eukaryota. Eukaryotic cells are more complex than prokaryotes, and the DNA is linear and found within a nucleus. Eukaryotic cells boast their own personal "power plants", called mitochondria. These tiny organelles in the cell not only produce chemical energy, but also hold the key to understanding the evolution of the eukaryotic cell.

The complex eukaryotic cell ushered in a whole new era for life on Earth, because these cells evolved into multicellular organisms. But how did the eukaryotic cell itself evolve? How did a humble bacterium make this evolutionary leap from a simple prokaryotic cell to a more complex eukaryotic cell? The answer seems to be symbiosis - in other words, teamwork.

Evidence supports the idea that eukaryotic cells are actually the descendents of separate prokaryotic cells that joined together in a symbiotic union. In fact, the mitochondrion itself seems to be the "great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great granddaughter" of a free-living bacterium that was engulfed by another cell, perhaps as a meal, and ended up staying as a sort of permanent houseguest. The host cell profited from the chemical energy the mitochondrion produced, and the mitochondrion benefited from the protected, nutrient-rich environment surrounding it. This kind of "internal" symbiosis - one organism taking up permanent residence inside another and eventually evolving into a single lineage - is called endosymbiosis.

All information taken from

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/_0_0/endosymbiosis_03

Answer 2

This is what wikipedia has to say: "Although no mechanism for their development, presumably from prokaryotic cells, has been suggested, the origin of the eukaryotic cell is considered a milestone in the evolution of life, since they include all complex cells and almost all multi-cellular organisms".

Also, check out their article on the endosymbiosis theory below:

Answer 3

No, the first cell originate on earth are prokaryotic in nature . because from the evolutionary point of view complex and sophisticated organism s are produced from the simple form of organisms, that is why we can assume first life on earth were prokaryotes.

Answer 4

the ablility to absorb other cells gave a survival advantage

Answer 5

oxygen production

Answer 6

plants