The Bold words are my words:
Perhaps now is a good
time to clarify some of the terminology: Symbiogenesis cannot be replicated in
a lab (and not endosymbiosis as previously stated). There is a difference. I
cannot dispute the process of endosymbiosis which can be demonstrated. However
the complete process of symbiogenesis (the evolutionary theory that explains
the origin of eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells by symbiosis) cannot as yet be demonstrated.
What should also be kept in mind, is the process of
adaptation at work, which is confirmed by Dr. K. W. Jeon.
It is suggested that
the presence of a potent P2 in the X-bacterial gene is an adaptation for the
endosymbiotic bacteria to survive within a potentially hostile intracellular
environment. 1
The following discusses the organisms or possible
organisms involved in Dr. Jeon’s experiment. Important to note that these
organisms remain individual and identifiable as specific species.
The X-bacteria which
initiated organismic association with the D strain of Amoeba proteus in 1966 as
parasites have changed to obligate endosymbionts on which the host depends for
survival. Owing to the difficulty in cultivating the bacteria in vitro, the
identity of X-bacteria has not been determined. The life cycle of X-bacteria is
similar to that of Legionella spp. in soil amoebae. 2
Not sure why this oversight has occurred, but what is
described here is the typical (or atypical) immune response of the Amoeba organism, which is not unusual at all.
Our immune system has similar response mechanisms to counter invading bacteria
and viruses.
This indicates that
phylogenetically and ecologically diverse bacteria which thrive inside amoebae
exploit common mechanisms for interaction with their hosts, and it provides
further evidence for the role of amoebae as training grounds for bacterial pathogens
of humans. 3
Again, one should not accept as fact that these organisms
are a new species. The warning is sounded by two renowned biologists:
On the basis of the
structural and physiological changes brought about by the endosymbionts of xD
amoebae as described above, one could consider the the symbiont-bearing xD
strain a new species of Amoeba.
However, until evidence for genetic differences between D and xD amoebae is
obtained, it would be more prudent to treat xD amoebae as belonging to a
variant strain. 4
There are huge barriers to overcome in the proposed
process of symbiogenesis. I believe the barriers are insurmountable: