Major events marking the evolution of eukaryotes
Back to main indexIf the origin of the eukaryotic cell is defined by the formation of the mitochondria, it is possible to define three major stages in its evolution: the formation of mitochondria, the formation of plastids and the appearance of multicellularity. While the formation of the mitochondria appears to be linked to a single event, the other two stages are more complex and in fact have multiple origins.