What are Mitochondria?
Mitochondria are the power plants of animal and plant cells. They convert bloodborne NADH and NADPH into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the common energy currency of cellular machinery. The singular of mitochondria is mitochondrion. It is strongly suspected that mitochondria derive from early symbiotic cells living in cooperation with other cells. They are the only organelles with their own DNA, and evolution has already spent millions of years incrementally transferring DNA from the mitochondria to the nucleus of the cell, where the rest of the DNA resides. An average cell has 2,000 mitochondria, which occupy about 20% of the total volume. The interior of a mitochondrion, observable under a microscope when stained, contains a highly folded membrane. These folds are called cristae. The cristae exist to maximize the surface area of this membrane, making high throughput of ATP possible. The mitochondria is one of few organelles to have a double-membrane structure.
Mitochondria are rod shaped bodies known as organelle occurring in the cells of plants and animals whose main function is to provide energy to the cells by converting nutrients into ATP (Adenosine Tri-phosphate) which can be then utilized by the cell as a source of energy. Mitochondria, singular mitochondrion are hence known as the power generators of the cell and play a vital role in the metabolizing process the process takes place by way of oxidation otherwise known as cellular respiration. Mitochondria occur in the extra nuclear part of the cell and may be in numbers stretching from a few to thousands though they are not present in the red blood cells some unicellular organisms have one mitochondrion. Mitochondria are double-membraned in structure with the essential processes taking place in the inner part they also contain DNA and can regenerate themselves by dividing to increase their number.
Mitochondria are the cellular organelles that manufacture most of the energy that our cells need to function. Cellular respiration, series of reactions that take place within the mitochondria, complete the process of turning food energy into ATP energy that can be used in many different cellular reactions. ATP is like the “cellular Euro” of energy forms. It can be used to drive anabolic reactions within the cell. Therefore the mitochondria are often referred to as the “power houses” of our cells (Campbell & Reece). What Is Mitochondrial DNA? Most of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) within cells of eukaryotic organisms is confined to the membrane-bound nucleus. The majority of cellular organelles do not have their own DNA. The fact that mitochondria do contain DNA is part of the evidence that leads scientists to believe that the ancestors of this organelle were once independent prokaryotic cells.
These are the tiny “power plants” of our bodies. We are made up of about a hundred trillion cells – skin cells, muscle cells, nerve cells, brain cells, lung, kidney and stomach cells, etc. Every one of those cells needs energy to perform its individual functions and that energy comes from the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the tiny “power plants” that create a chemical form of energy known as ATP. We use ATP to fuel all functions of our bodies from moving to thinking to breathing. The mitochondria make ATP from our food by a chemical process similar to internal combustion in your car engine, instead of using gas and oxygen to release energy, we use food and oxygen. The cells that require the most energy to do their job, like the muscle cells, heart cells and liver cells have the most mitochondria – up to 2000 or more per cell! Cells that don’t do much, like a fat cell that just sits there storing fat, have only a hundred or so mitochondria.
Mitochondria are tiny rods found inside all human cells. Essentially, they are the cell’s “power plants” and are also involved in the formation of protein and the processing of fat in cells. Several things can affect how well mitochondria work. As people age, get an infection or take certain anti-HIV drugs, changes can occur in mitochondria. These changes, or mutations, may damage the mitochondria and either disrupt the normal function of the cells or cause them to stop working altogether. Mitochondrial toxicity is a general term that refers to these changes. Perhaps more accurately, it is mitochondrial damage. It can cause different symptoms in the heart, nerves, muscles, pancreas, kidney and liver (or perhaps anywhere it occurs). It can also cause changes in lab tests.
