Creating a Microbe

[Zirojtan]

I'll explain the details some other time, maybe, but I'm trying to write about a microbe for a speculative evolution project and I also kind of wanna draw it to.


The concept is the ultimate mixotroph. It can photosynthesize, biosynthesize, chemosynthesize, or even eat other microbes.


I have no idea how to even go about creating such an organism though, as I don't know much about microbiology. I will be reading more in the morning, but I just wanted to see if anyone had any pointers as to not only what kind of compounds this microbe would need for structure, but what kind of structures it would have inside? I imagine it would probably be a lot more complex than your average plant cell, or even many protists, like dinoflagellates.


Anyways, I hope to hear from you guys tomorrow. I'm going to bed now.

[Jub]

I'm no expert, but what if you started out with some sort of very basic cell large enough to 'swallow' cells that are able to power themselves in the other desired ways. Some sort of cell that creates a forced symbiosis between it and the swallowed cells. Or is that too much like a multicelled creature for your purposes?

[madd0ct0r]

well, aren't mitochondria and chloroplasts in some sense 'enveloped' cells?

They're not multi-cellular since they all undergo mitosis at the same time (i assume), but they probably stared off as engulfed cells back in the primordial soup.