Why mitochondria powerhouse of the cell

This allows some of the energy locked up in these products to be released and incorporated into the universal energy supplier in cells known as ATP adenosine triphosphate.

Remaining molecular fragments from this process then enter the mitochondria, and in a complex series of steps, they are finally converted into carbon dioxide and water.

The energy locked up in these fragments is incorporated into more ATP. The ATP molecules produced in this way can then be used by the cell to supply the energy needed to function. It has been estimated that, in an average person, the turnover rate the rate at which ATP is produced and consumed is a massive 65 kg per day.

The human body is a fantastically energetic machine. It has been estimated that, kilogram for kilogram, the human body, when sitting comfortably, is converting 10, times more energy than the Sun in every second! During cellular respiration, highly reactive molecules called free radicals are formed within mitochondria. Perhaps the best known free radical produced in this way is the superoxide radical, O 2 -. Free radicals are potentially very damaging to cell components such as proteins and genetic material like DNA and RNA.

If too many free radicals are released in the mitochondria, the damage can be severe, resulting ultimately in the death of the cell. To protect against free radical damage, mitochondria produce their own antioxidant enzymes. One such enzyme is known as superoxide dismutase or SOD. Although free radicals are damaging, they have an important signalling role. Scientists now believe that mitochondria operate a sensitive feedback mechanism in which some of the free radicals themselves act as signals to the cell, causing it to calibrate and adjust cellular respiration, so to remove them completely is not good for the cell.

View More Editors. Add a Comment. View More Comments. The latest from KYM. It's hard to think about where memes would be without introverts making them. Photo Duke of Nukem. Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next. We see that you're using an ad-blocker! Word Up! You must login or signup first! Already a memeber? Login Now! Don't have an account? Cellular respiration is the process of making ATP using the chemical energy found in glucose and other nutrients.

In mitochondria, this process uses oxygen and produces carbon dioxide as a waste product. In fact, the carbon dioxide that you exhale with every breath comes from the cellular reactions that produce carbon dioxide as a by-product.

It is important to point out that muscle cells have a very high concentration of mitochondria that produce ATP. Your muscle cells need a lot of energy to keep your body moving. Instead, the small amount of ATP they make in the absence of oxygen is accompanied by the production of lactic acid.

In addition to the aerobic generation of ATP, mitochondria have several other metabolic functions. One of these functions is to generate clusters of iron and sulfur that are important cofactors of many enzymes.

Such functions are often associated with the reduced mitochondrion-derived organelles of anaerobic eukaryotes. There are two hypotheses about the origin of mitochondria: endosymbiotic and autogenous, but the most accredited theory at present is endosymbiosis. The endosymbiotic hypothesis suggests mitochondria were originally prokaryotic cells, capable of implementing oxidative mechanisms.