Mitochondria Research Paper

Plants are made up of many complex, eukaryotic cells. Inside every cell there are a variety of organelles responsible for different functions to keep the cell alive and functioning. The organelle that is responsible for producing energy for the cell is the mitochondria. Mitochondria are believed to have originated from an ancient symbiosis that resulted when a nucleated cell swallowed an aerobic prokaryote. The engulfed cell began to depend on the protective environment the host cell provided, and, conversely, the host cell came to rely on the engulfed prokaryote for energy production. Over time, the descendants of the engulfed prokaryote developed into mitochondria, and the work of these organelles, using oxygen to create energy, became critical to eukaryotic evolution. In 1890, Richard Altmann established Mitochondria as cell organelles and called them "bioblasts". The term "mitochondria" was coined by Carl Benda in 1898.
Mitochondria are the organelles that are known as the powerhouse of a cell. Mitochondria float free throughout the cell, some cells have several thousand mitochondria while other cells have none. Mitochondria act like a digestive system, they take in nutrients, break them down, and create energy for the cell. If a cell feels it is not getting enough energy to survive, more …show more content…
Mitochondria are made up of two membranes, the outer membrane is the protective layer, it covers the organelle and acts like skin. The inner membrane folds over many times, creating the layered structures called cristae. The matrix is where the mitochondrias fluid is contained. The folding of the inner membrane increases the surface area of the organelle. The increased surface area creates more space within the inner membrane, which is beneficial since this is where many of the chemical reactions in the cell occur. Mitochondria are considered unique since they have their own ribosomes and DNA floating in the

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