What is mitochondria?

The mitochondrion (plural mitochondria) is an organelle found in all eukaryotic cells but not in prokaryotic cells. It is called the powerhouse of the cell. Its function is to convert energy into a form that can be used for all of the processes in the cell, a molecule called ATP. The mitochondria generates ATP from the similar, but lower energy, ADP in the process of cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is the breakdown, using oxygen, of food molecules such as glucose, producing energy and the waste products carbon dioxide and water.
Mitochondria have their own DNA, and they reproduce in the cytoplasm of cells by dividing. Humans inherit their mitochondria from their mothers, in the cytoplasm of the egg cell. If all of the mitochondria are removed from a cell, it will be unable to make more.
The endosymbiotic theory says that mitochondria originated as free-living prokaryotic cells that were able to use oxygen. One or more were engulfed by a precursor to a eukaryotic cell and developed a symbiotic relationship in which the host provided starting materials and removed waste, and the endosymbiont produced energy for the host.


The Mitochondrion (singular: Mitochondria) is a round organelle that is found in majority of eukaryotic cells. The Mitochondrion is commonly know as the 'Powerhouse of the cell,' due to it's function of creating a steady supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)- which is the cell’s main energy-carrying molecule. In simpler words, the job of the Mitochondria is to convert particles into usable energy for the cell.
The Mitochondria is a unique and vital organelle for organisms body to function. Not only does the Mitochondria generate the necessary energy supply to every cell for an organism's body to properly function, but the Mitochondria possesses two distinct membranes, a unique genome and are able to produce through binary fission (asexual reproduction), which indicates that have an evolutionary past.
Additional functions of the Mitochondria include storing calcium, which is used to relay signals within the cell. The activities within the mitochondrion are also beneficial to the cell, as the activity results in heat generation that is mandatory for a cell's condition.

Sources / Further reading:
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/structure-of-a-cell/tour-of-organelles/a/chloroplasts-and-mitochondria
https://www.britannica.com/science/mitochondrion


An organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur. It has double membrane, the inner layer being folded inward to form layers (cristae).


The mitochondrion is a round or oval organelle found within cells that have well-defined nuclei, also known as eukaryotic cells. The mitochondrion is responsible for the production of energy to fuel the functions of the cell and can be compared to power plants that produce electricity to power our homes. Mitochondria play an important role in regulating the growth and eventual death of all cells in our bodies. They are also responsible for storing calcium that is used to relay signals within the cell. Activities within the mitochondrion result in the generation of heat that is essential for the well-being of the cell. The mitochondrion is a unique cell organelle because it has two membranes and it reproduces through separation of the original organelle into two new organelles (binary fission).
https://www.britannica.com/science/mitochondrion

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