We explain what mitochondria are and the origin of these organelles. In addition, its main functions and how is its structure.
Mitochondria are the cytoplasmic organelles (that is: cell equivalents to the body’s organs) that in cells operate as energy plants, synthesizing the adenosine triphosphate ( ATP ) molecules that provide chemical fuel to the various cellular processes necessary for life (respiration mobile).
This process of energy synthesis is carried out inside the cell, taking advantage of glucose, fatty acids and amino acids as fuel, which enter the mitochondria through the membranes that cover them, similar but smaller in size. cell membrane .
Commonly, these organelles have an elongated , although highly variable, appearance and are found in the cell cytoplasm , in a number according to the energy needs of the type of cell in question.
The curious thing about mitochondria is that they have in their own DNA the necessary instructions to synthesize the essential energy substances and to replicate themselves during cell reproduction . This DNA is not identical to that of the cell nucleus, which has allowed us to formulate a hypothesis regarding its origin: endosymbiosis.
According to this theory, the mitochondria would have arisen as a result of the symbiotic (collaborative) incorporation of a prokaryotic into the eukaryotic cell , reaching a kind of coexistence agreement that later became indispensable: the prokaryote would produce energy for the whole cell and in return It would be protected inside, a nutrient-rich and competition-free environment. The rest would be the evolution, which would end up merging them both in the same organism.
The clues that support this theory have to do with the presence of autonomous DNA and its own plasma membrane in the mitochondria, as well as its physical, biochemical and metabolic similarity with numerous bacteria.
As said, mitochondria are responsible for producing chemical energy for the entire cell , from the synthesis of ATP. To do this, it must oxidize metabolites by oxidative phosphorylation, generating a very high percentage of the energy produced by the cell.
At the same time, mitochondria serve as a storehouse for ions, water molecules and proteins , often captured from the cytoplasm to serve as spare parts in the synthesis of energy.
The structure of the mitochondria is variable , but usually it is composed of three different spaces: mitochondrial ridges, intermembrane space and mitochondrial matrix, all covered by a double lipid membrane, similar to the cell membrane, but mostly composed (60 to 70% in the external, 80% in the internal) protein.
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