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Biological Environment > Mitochondria |
This site tells the story of the history of the universe. Click Earlier and Later to follow the story. Note: Many facts have been simplified to make them easier to understand. |
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Mitochondria are organelles of eukaryote cells. That is, they are parts of a cell wrapped in their own membrane. They serve two functions in a cell.
Waste Disposal UnitThey take in the waste products of fermentation and gently burn them to make simpler chemicals like carbon dioxide and water.Power StationDuring this burning some of the chemical energy of these waste products is converted into ATP, the molecule used by all living things to store and transport energy. So mitochondria are also the power stations of the cell.AppearanceMitochondria occur in both plant and animal cells as sausage shaped bodies closely packed in regions actively using ATP energy. They are about 1 micrometer in length, slightly smaller than a typical bacterium. To get some idea of their size, visit Soccearth.
OriginMitochondria still have a small chromosome of their own and make some of their own proteins, showing that they were once separate bacteria. During reproduction mitochondria are passed on by the egg cell. They are found in all eukaryotes but do not occur in bacteria. This suggests that the mitochondria were originally symbionts. They evolved from an early aerobe that began to live inside a larger cell. The large cell was probably an anaerobe.The NameMitochondrion ("my-tow-con-dree-on"). Two of these are called mitochondria. |
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Biological Environment > Mitochondria |
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Basic Information |
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