microbody

A microbody is a small, self-replicating entity that is not a cell, virus, or bacterium. The term was coined by biologist Lynn Margulis in the 1970s to describe hypothetical, microscopic organisms that could potentially exist within cells. Microbodies are proposed to be the evolutionary precursors to cells, and their existence is inferred from the presence of certain organelles within eukaryotic cells, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.

The concept of microbodies is based on the endosymbiotic theory, which suggests that eukaryotic cells evolved from the symbiotic association of smaller, independent organisms. According to this theory, microbodies could have been free-living, self-replicating entities that were engulfed by larger cells, eventually becoming organelles within those cells.

The existence of microbodies remains a topic of ongoing debate and research in the scientific community. While some evidence supports the endosymbiotic theory, other theories propose alternative explanations for the origin of eukaryotic cells. Despite the uncertainty surrounding microbodies, the concept has significantly contributed to our understanding of the evolution and diversity of life on Earth.