Mitochondria

The contemporary era is of constant modernization and development. The whole

world is running at a great pace and these all advancements could not be possible
without energy. In recent times we have witnessed that a portion of world more
specifically Europe is experiencing energy crisis that is causing a lot of
inconvenience to the day to life .
Similarly individually each one of our life goes on with energy, Mitochondria
ensures that we get the required energy at required parts in our body.
So it has a great role which we would be discussing in our this article
Introduction
Mitochondria also known as power house of the cell, is a membrane bound
organelle found in the cytoplasm of almost all the eukaryotic cells. The primary
function of which is to generate large quantities of energy in the form of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondria are typically round to oval in shape and range in
size from 0.5 to 10 μm. In addition to producing energy, mitochondria store
calcium for cell signaling activities, generate heat, and mediate cell growth and
death.
Anatomy of mitochondria
Mitochondria is double membrane structure .The outer mitochondrial membrane is
freely permeable to small molecules and contains special channels capable of
transporting large molecules. In contrast, the inner membrane is far less
permeable, allowing only very small molecules to cross into the gel-like matrix that
makes up the organelle’s central mass. The matrix contains the deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA) of the mitochondrial genome and the enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid
(TCA) cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle, or Krebs cycle), which
metabolizes nutrients into by-products the mitochondrion can use for energy
production.
Forming energy currency; ATP
There are various enzymes that act upon substrate and convert them into useful
byproducts through Krebs cycle.The processes that convert these by-products into
energy occur primarily on the inner membrane, which is bent into folds known as
cristae that house the protein components of the main energy-generating system
of cells, the ETC. The ETC uses a series of oxidation-reduction reactions to move
electrons from one protein component to the next, ultimately producing free
energy that is harnessed to drive the phosphorylation of ADP (adenosine
diphosphate) to ATP. This process, known as chemiosmotic coupling of oxidative
phosphorylation, powers nearly all cellular activities, including those that generate
muscle movement and fuel brain functions.
Quantity in cells
The number of mitochondria per cell varies widely—for example, in humans,
erythrocytes (red blood cells) do not contain any mitochondria, whereas liver cells
and muscle cells may contain hundreds or even thousands. The only eukaryotic
organism known to lack mitochondria is the oxymonad Monocercomonoides
species. Mitochondria are unlike other cellular organelles in that they have two
distinct membranes and a unique genome and reproduce by binary fission; these
features indicate that mitochondria share an evolutionary past with prokaryotes
(single-celled organisms).
Inheritance of mitochondria
Most of the proteins and other molecules that make up mitochondria originate in
the cell nucleus. However, 37 genes are contained in the human mitochondrial
genome, 13 of which produce various components of the electron transport chain
(ETC). In many organisms, the mitochondrial genome is inherited maternally. This
is because the mother’s egg cell donates the majority of cytoplasm to the embryo,
and mitochondria inherited from the father’s sperm are usually destroyed
Anscestory and Mutation
Mitochondria has its own nucleus, RNA and ribosomes unlike many other orgenelles . It is understood that
mitochondria is a cell inside a cell, because it shows properties of prokaryotic cell, so it is conjectured that
during the course of evolution eukaryotic cell might have engulfed a prokaryotic cell and that remained in it
forever.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is highly susceptible to mutations, largely because it does not possess the
robust DNA repair mechanisms common to nuclear DNA. In addition, the mitochondrion is a major site for
the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS; or free radicals) due to the high propensity for aberrant
release of free electrons. While several different antioxidant proteins within the mitochondria scavenge and
neutralize these molecules, some ROS may inflict damage to mtDNA. In addition, certain chemicals and
infectious agents, as well as alcohol abuse, can damage mtDNA. In the latter instance, excessive ethanol
intake saturates detoxification enzymes, causing highly reactive electrons to leak from the inner
membrane into the cytoplasm or into the mitochondrial matrix, where they combine with other molecules to
form numerous radicals.
Conclusion
Mitochondria is thus an organelle of huge importance that is constantly supplying
us energy and ensure our living growth and development. It is present in almost all
the cells of the world be it, animals,plants,or fungi.