Why in the News?
Recent research by IISc on Asgard archaea — the closest living relatives of eukaryotes — has shed new light on how simple prokaryotic cells evolved into complex eukaryotic cells with nuclei, cytoskeletons, and organelles.
About Asgard Archaea:
- Nature: Tiny microbes living in deep-sea mud and extreme environments.
- Evolutionary Link: Closest relatives of eukaryotic cells (plants, animals, humans).
- Importance: Help explain how simple prokaryotic cells (bacteria/archaea) evolved into complex eukaryotic cells.
- Significance: Considered the “missing link” in the origin of complex life.
Findings from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Study:
- Focus: Scientists studied a subgroup called Odinarchaeota.
- Discovery: Found two FtsZ genes (most microbes have one) and a tubulin-like gene.
- FtsZ1: Works like bacterial proteins → forms straight filaments and attaches to cell membranes.
- FtsZ2: Builds spiral structures but needs helper proteins to stick to membranes.
- Division of Labour: Cooperation of FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 shows early signs of cellular specialisation.
- Clue for Evolution: Suggests Asgard microbes were already experimenting with primitive “cytoskeleton” systems, paving way for complex cells.
| [UPSC 2012] Which one of the following sets of elements was primarily responsible for the origin of life on the Earth?
Options: (a) Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sodium (b) Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen* (c) Oxygen, Calcium, Phosphorus (d) Carbon, Hydrogen, Potassium |
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