Which theory describes the evolution of eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells through the invagination of a large prokaryote?

The Endosymbiotic Model is the correct answer because it specifically addresses the origin of eukaryotic cells through the process of endosymbiosis. This model suggests that larger prokaryotic cells engulfed smaller prokaryotic cells, which then became symbiotic within the larger cells. Over time, these engulfed cells evolved into organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, essential to eukaryotic cell function.

This concept is supported by several lines of evidence, including the similarities between mitochondria/chloroplasts and prokaryotic cells in terms of size, shape, and genetic material. In essence, the Endosymbiotic Model explains a significant evolutionary transition, illustrating how complex eukaryotic cells originated from simpler prokaryotic ancestors through a mutually beneficial relationship between different organisms.

The other theories mentioned—Cell Theory, Gene Theory, and Evolutionary Theory—do not specifically explain the transition from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells in the same way. Cell Theory focuses on the basic properties of cells, Gene Theory deals with the molecular mechanisms of heredity, and Evolutionary Theory encompasses a broad range of mechanisms explaining the diversity of life, but none of them detail