The Cell That Let a Bacterium Move In

Between one and a half and two billion years ago, a bacterium ended up inside another cell and stayed, and that host was probably an archaeon. 🔬

In 2020, scientists in Japan grew a close relative after more than ten years of trying, and the partnership became the ancestor of every plant, animal and fungus.

3D models are simplified illustrations and may not be exact. "Bacterium" by andrewfrueh (Sketchfab, CC BY 4.0); the archaeon is our own build after Imachi et al. 2020. Sources: Imachi et al. 2020, Nature; Mills et al. 2022.