Cell Memes

The most accurate depiction of endosymbiotic theory I've ever seen. Nature really said "oops, I accidentally ate this bacterium... might as well do it again to make it look intentional." First a primitive cell swallows an alpha-proteobacterium and—surprise!—gets mitochondria as a participation prize. Then, not wanting to look like a one-hit wonder, it gulps down a cyanobacterium and boom: chloroplasts! Two billion years of evolution explained by the same logic we use when accidentally liking someone's Instagram post from 2014 and then liking two more to make it seem deliberate. Cellular evolution: the original "fake it till you make it" strategy.

Mitochondria really driving a hard bargain in this cellular real estate market! The meme perfectly captures the symbiotic relationship that formed billions of years ago when mitochondria (labeled "MITOCHONDRIA" in the image) moved into eukaryotic cells. They traded shelter ("a place to live") for energy production ("my ATP"). This evolutionary deal is basically the original roommate agreement of life - mitochondria get protection and a cozy home, while cells get the cellular currency (ATP) needed to power everything from your morning jog to your late-night existential crisis. Talk about a win-win situation that's been going strong for about 1.5 billion years!

The ultimate cellular home invasion! On the left, we have a distressed cell crying out as a virus commandeers its machinery. Meanwhile, the smug virus on the right is just chilling like "Yeah, I'm just gonna use your ribosomes like my personal Xerox machine." This is basically the biological equivalent of someone breaking into your house, forcing you to cook them dinner, then making you build 10,000 clones of the intruder before your house explodes. Talk about the worst houseguest ever!