Mitochondria

 History of Mitochondria
 Origin of Mitochondria
 Location of Mitochondria
 Number of Mitochondria
 Shape and Size of Mitochondria
 Ultrastructure of Mitochondria
 Parts of Mitochondria
 Functions of Mitochondria
 Miscellaneous Facts
History of Mitochondria : 
• Kolliker (1880) First observed mitochondria as granules in muscle cells.
• Flemming (1882) Describes mitochondria under the name Fila.
• Altman (1894) Introduced the term bioplast.
• Benda (1898) Used the term mitochondria. Albert von Kolliker
• Kingsbury (1912) Related mitochondria with respiration.
• Warburg (1913) Discovered respiratory enzymes in them.
• Bensley (1934) Isolated mitochondria from liver cells.

Carl Benda
Origin Of Mitochondria : 
 Mitochondria are derived from bacteria by a process termed as endosymbiosis.
 Mitochondria arose about 2 billion years ago when a bacteria fused with an archaeal cell or
established a symbiotic relationship with a primitive eukaryotic cell.
 The closest exact relatives of bacteria that gave rise to mitochondria are Rickettsia.
 The first person to recognize mitochondria as descendants of endosymbiotic bacteria was Ivan
Emanuel Wallin.
Location of Mitochondria : 
Number of Mitochondria :
The number of mitochondria in a cell varies depending on the cell’s functions and the energy
requirement in the cell.
Examples:
• Erythrocytes ( Red blood Corpuscles ) do not have any mitochondria.
• Liver Cells and Muscle Cells contain hundreds or even thousands of mitochondria.
• Cardiac Muscle Cells contain approximately 5000 mitochondria per cell because they need more
energy. They contain more number of mitochondria than any other organ in the body.
• Plant cells contain several hundred discrete mitochondria.
• Nerve cell contains nearly 2 million mitochondria.
• There is only one mitochondrion in alga, Microsterias and Chlorella.
• In Amphibian oocytes there are about 3,00,000 mitochondria and in Flight Muscles of certain
Insects about 5,00,000 mitochondria are present.
Shape and Size of Mitochondria :
 A typical mitochondria is a sausage shaped or cylindrical having a diameter in
the range of 0.2-1.0 micron and length of 0.1-4.1 micron. Mitochondria may
have a number of different shapes. A mitochondrion contains outer and inner
membranes composed of phospholipid bilayers and proteins. The two
membranes have different properties. Because of this double-membraned
organization, there are five distinct parts to a mitochondrion:
• The outer mitochondrial membrane
• The intermembranous space (the space between the outer and inner
membranes),
• The inner mitochondrial membrane,
• The cristae space (formed by infoldings of the inner membrane)
• The matrix (space within the inner membrane), which is a fluid.
 Mitochondria have folding to increase surface area, which in turn increases ATP
(adenosine triphosphate) production. Mitochondria stripped of their outer
membrane are called mitoplasts.
Ultrastructure of
Mitochondria :
In 1953, Palade and Sjostrand independently
described the ultrastructure of mitochondria.
Mitochondria are bounded by an envelope
consisting of two concentric membranes, the
outer and inner membranes. The space
between the two membranes is called inter-
membrane space.
A number of invaginations occur in the inner
membrane; they are called cristae. The space
on the interior of the inner membrane is called
matrix.
Parts of Mitochondria :
• Outer Membrane: The outer membrane of the mitochondria encloses the entire mitochondria and
contains some protein. This membrane is like the plasma membrane. The proteins are known as
porin which allows the movement of small molecules across them.
• Inner membrane : The inner membrane of the mitochondria encloses the mitochondrial matrix and
it has various foldings which are known as cristae. This membrane lacks porins, so it is impermeable
to the molecules. So special membrane transporters are present on the inner membrane to perform
various functions like ATP synthesis , electron transport chain reaction and the exchange of
metabolites between the matrix and intermembranous space.
• Intermembranous Space: The space that lies between the mitochondrial membranes is known as
intermembranous space or perichondrial space. The ionic concentration of this space is similar to
that of cytosol. The outer membrane can crass small molecules around it. The region allows oxidative
phosphorylation to occur in it.
• Cristae: Mitochondrial cristae are folds of the mitochondrial inner membrane that provide an
increase in the surface area. This allows a greater space for processes that happen across this
membrane. The electron transport chain and chemiosmosis are the processes which help to produce
ATP in the final steps of cellular respiration.
• Matrix: The mitochondrion consists of an outer membrane, an inner membrane, and a gel-like
material called the matrix. This matrix is more viscous than the cell's cytoplasm as it contains less
Function of Mitochondria :
• Mitochondria is main site of aerobic respiration. They are miniature biochemical factories
where food stuffs or respiratory substrates are completely oxidised to carbon dioxide and
water. The energy liberated in the process is stored in the form of ATP. These bring about the
oxidation of carbohydrates, proteins and oxidation of fats.
• The energy (ATP) produced in the mitochondria helps to perform various energy-requiring
processes of the cell like muscle contraction, nerve impulse conduction, etc. Because of the
formation of ATP, Mitochondria are called the power house of the cell.
• Contribution to synthesizing certain hormones e.g. Oestrogen and testosterone.
• Role in cholesterol metabolism ('metabolism' refers to chemical changes due to reactions in
the body including energy required & released).
• Role in neurotransmitter metabolism.
• Detoxification of ammonia in the urea cycle (ammonia is among the chemicals in cigarettes).
• Helps in the formation of yolk in developing ovum and are converted into yolk-storing bodies.
• Contains enzymes which help in the elongation of Fatty acids by adding acetyl CoA.
Miscellaneous Facts about Mitochondria :
• Mitochondrial Ribosomes are similar to bacterial Ribosomes (70S).
• The mitochondrial DNA are circular, similar to bacteria. It carries information required for
mitochondrial growth and replication.
• Mitochondria synthesize their own mRNA, tRNA and rRNA.
• Mitochondria synthesize certain amount of proteins .
• Chromosome Replication in mitochondria is independent of chromosome replication in the
nucleus of the cell.
• Mitochondria arise by the division of existing mitochondria.
Project by:
1. Sagnik Biswas (XI A – 31)
2. Sneha Biswas (XI A – 33)
3. Sonal Biswas (XI A – 34)
4. Souvik Debnath (XI A – 35)