Mitochondria

• Mitochondria


  Organelles found in eukaryotic cells that play a critical role in aerobic respiration to produce the energy carrier molecule ATP
• Mitochondria


  • Have a double membrane
  • Contain a fluid called the matrix
  • Contain a loop of mitochondrial DNA
  • Contain mitochondrial ribosomes
• Aerobic respiration


  1. Glycolysis (in cytoplasm)

  2. Krebs cycle (in mitochondrial matrix)

  3. Oxidative phosphorylation (on inner mitochondrial membrane)
• Oxygen is required for


  Oxidative phosphorylation (the final stage of aerobic respiration)
• Inner mitochondrial membrane


  • Highly folded into cristae
  • Provides increased surface area for enzymes needed for oxidative phosphorylation
• Mitochondria contain the genes and ribosomes required to synthesize some of the enzymes involved in aerobic respiration
• Cells that require a lot of energy, such as muscle cells, tend to have larger numbers of mitochondria