CWL

“Animals are gentle, and kind.”

In Acquiring Genomes: A Theory of the Origins of Species, biologist Lynn Margulis argued later that symbiogenesis is a primary force in evolution. According to her theory, acquisition and accumulation of random mutations are not sufficient to explain how inherited variations occur; rather, new organelles, bodies, organs, and species arise from symbiogenesis. Whereas the classical interpretation of evolution (the modern evolutionary synthesis) emphasizes competition as the main force behind evolution, Margulis emphasizes cooperation. She argues that bacteria along with other microorganisms helped create the conditions that we require for life, such as oxygen.

Margulis believes that these microorganisms make up a major component in Earth’s biomass and that they are the reason current conditions on earth are maintained. She also believes that the DNA in the cytoplasm of animal, plant, fungal and protist cells, rather than resulting from mutations, resulted from genes from bacteria that became organelles. She claimed that bacteria are able to exchange genes more quickly and more easily, and because of this, they are more versatile, which is why life was able to evolve so quickly.

whatihavefoundtoday:

From Wikipedia - Lynn Margulis (March 5, 1938 – November 22, 2011^[1]) was an American biologist and University Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.^[2] She is best known for her theory on the origin of eukaryotic organelles, and her contributions to the endosymbiotic theory, which is now generally accepted for how certain organelles were formed. She is also associated with the Gaia hypothesis, based on an idea developed by the English environmental scientist James Lovelock.

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I first heard about Margulis in my Introduction to Plant Biology class. Like any good scientist, she put her neck out there and stirred up some controversy; her death is a loss to everyone.

Even though it was last month, it still makes me pretty sad whenever I hear news of a scientist passing away. We severely need more women like Lynn, passionate about her work while inciting ideas that really make people think about life.