Mitochondrion
This article describes an organelle, a cell component with its own distinctive structure and function. In eukaryotic cells, this is bounded by its own membrane, which is a lipid bilayer made of phospholipid.
Unless otherwise specified, information about this organelle is about its in situ occurrence in vivo, i.e., its occurrence in its usual location in living cells.
Mitochondrion (plural mitochondria) is an organelle found in eukaryotic cells whose primary function is to carry out aerobic respiration, i.e., convert energy from a relatively more hard-to-use form (pyruvates) to energy stored in the form of ATP.
Summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Type of organisms whose cells contain mitochondria | eukaryotic cells only, both plant cells and animal cells |
| Type of cells within the organisms that contain mitochondria | All (?) cells |
| Number of mitochondria per cell | 1 to 1000s, depending on the energy needs of the cell |
| Size | per mitochondrion. In some cells, it could take up to 1/5 of the cell volume |
| Location within cell | ? |
| Structural components | mitochondrial outer membrane, intermembrane space, mitochondrial inner membrane, cristae, mitochondrial matrix |
| Chemical constituents | lots of proteins |
| Control of the entry and exit of materials | Membranes (hydrophilic/hydrophobic issues), the TIM/TOM complex |
| Function | aerobic respiration, i.e., ATP synthesis Control of cell cycle Cellular differentiation Cell growth Cell death |
| Evolutionary origin | endosymbiotic theory of mitochondrial origin |
