what is the main function of mitochondria
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Answer:
Function of Mitochondria
Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouse of the cell. They are small structures within a cell that are made up of two membranes and a matrix. The membrane is where the chemical reactions occur and the matrix is where the fluid is held. Mitochondria are a part of eukaryotic cells.
The main job of mitochondria is to perform cellular respiration. This means it takes in nutrients from the cell, breaks it down, and turns it into energy. This energy is then in turn used by the cell to carry out various functions.
Each cell contains a different number of mitochondria. The number present is dependent upon how much energy the cell requires. The more energy a cell needs the more mitochondria that will be present. Cells have the ability to produce more mitochondria as needed. They also can combine mitochondria to make larger ones
Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles, but they're membrane-bound with two different membranes. And that's quite unusual for an intercellular organelle. Those membranes function in the purpose of mitochondria, which is essentially to produce energy. That energy is produced by having chemicals within the cell go through pathways, in other words, be converted. And the process of that conversion produces energy in the form of ATP, because the phosphate is a high-energy bond and provides energy for other reactions within the cell. So the mitochondria's purpose is to produce that energy. Some different cells have different amounts of mitochondria because they need more energy. So for example, the muscle has a lot of mitochondria, the liver does too, the kidney as well, and to a certain extent, the brain, which lives off of the energy those mitochondria produce. So if you have a defect in the pathways that the mitochondria usually functions with, you're going to have symptoms in the muscle, in the brain, sometimes in the kidneys as well; many different types of symptoms. And we probably don't know all of the different diseases that mitochondrial dysfunction causes.
William Gahl, M.D., Ph.D.
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Related Terms
Cell
Chromosome
Inherited
Mitochondrial DNA
Organelle