The Origin and Establishment of the Plastid in Algae and Plants

The establishment of the photosynthetic organelle (plastid) in eukaryotes and the diversification of algae and plants were landmark evolutionary events because these taxa form the base of the food chain for many ecosystems on our planet. The plastid originated via a putative single, ancient primary endosymbiosis in which a heterotrophic protist engulfed and retained a cyanobacterium in its cytoplasm. Once successfully established, this plastid...