Lynn Margulis
A prominent evolutionary theorist who championed the endosymbiotic theory, explaining the origin of eukaryotic cells.
Most quoted
"Science is not about control. It is about cultivating a perpetual condition of wonder in the face of something that forever grows one step richer and subtler than our latest theory about it."
— from Essay
"Symbiosis is the driving force of evolution. It is the process by which different organisms come together to form new, more complex systems."
"Science is not just a collection of facts, but a way of understanding the world. It is a process of inquiry, discovery, and exploration."
All quotes by Lynn Margulis (395)
Paradigm shifts come from outsiders.
Fungi and algae together make lichens—symbiosis in action.
Life's diversity stems from mergers, not mutations alone.
I regret nothing; science was my passion.
The cell is a city of organelles working together.
Ignore the naysayers; follow the evidence.
Bacterial communication is more sophisticated than we thought.
Motherhood taught me patience for experiments.
Evolution favors the cooperative.
Stars are born from gas, life from microbes—similar chaos.
My biggest joke: thinking I could change biology overnight.
Symbiogenesis is the creative force of evolution.
Peace comes from understanding our interconnectedness.
I always said, 'Look under the microscope; truth is small.'
Cancer is failed symbiosis.
Life's meaning? To evolve through connection.
Rejection letters fueled my fire.
The biosphere breathes as one.
Humor helps in the lab: 'Why did the bacterium cross the cell? To merge!'
In the end, we are all symbionts.
Contemporaries of Lynn Margulis
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Lynn Margulis (1938–2011).