Lynn Margulis was both a theoretician and experimental biologist who helped advance the study of the origin of eukaryotic cells. In this interview, Dr. Margulis discusses her education, passion for science, and her work on Gaia theory and symbiogenesis in evolution. The video is almost 30 minutes long, but worth it.
Margulis and Symbiogenesis
Margulis learned early in her science education the importance of the history of science and reading the original papers of past scientists. Her work on the symbiotic origin of eukaryotic cells (cells with nuclei) was inspired by scientists such as Konstantin Mereschkowski and Ivan Wallin.
Margulis, like her predecessors, theorized that eukaryotic cells descended from bacteria that formed symbiotic relationships more than 2 billion years ago. In this theory, both chloroplasts and mitochondria evolved from once free-living bacterial species.
Relying on microbiological evidence, Margulis wrote a theoretical paper entitled The Origin of Mitosing Eukaryotic Cells, in which she describes the serial endosymbiotic theory (SET). Though it was initially rejected by several science journals, today it’s considered a landmark paper.
Margulis Embraces the ‘Gaia’ Concept
In 1968, British biologist James Lovelock presented his Gaia hypothesis, the idea that all living things interact with each other and Earth’s sub-systems to create the conditions that are needed for life to continue.
Though this view of Earth was controversial, Margulis not only embraced Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis but helped him develop it further. Because of her extensive knowledge of the microbial world, bacteria now figure prominently in the theory, which is now called geophysiology, or Earth Systems science.
Books by Lynn Margulis:
Featured Image: A eukaryotic cell contains membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria. Source