Oct 22, 2010

Glossary

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Mitochondria

Parts of the cell that provide the energy required by the organism

Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell. They are oval or round and present in varying numbers in the cells. The energy stored in the different food components is released in the mitochondria and converted into a form accessible to the organism. In order to obtain energy from nutrients like glucose or fatty acids, the organism gradually breaks them down. The final reaction chains of this nutrient breakdown process take place in the mitochondria. These include the citrate cycle and the respiratory chain. The energy obtained is made available to the organism in the form of a storage molecule, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The inner membrane of the mitochondria forms folds to provide as much surface area as possible for these processes. Mitochondria possess their own genome that is passed on only by the mother. The mitochondrial genome of plants is much larger than that of animals (in maize, for instance, it is around 35 times larger than in mammals). The metabolic processes in the mitochondria are also much more complex in plants than in animals.