crisscrossing Science Episode 041: Did You Know Your Cells Carry Symbiotes?

In this episode, Chris Gaiser (professor of biology at Linfield College) and Mike Crosser (professor of physics at Linfield College) discuss endosymbiosis, the process in which one organism subsumes another organism to the benefit of both. There is ample evidence that the mitochondria within our cells were once independent bacteria. However, the ability of these bacteria to convert sugars into energy sets the stage for symbiotic behavior between the consuming cell and the consumee.