| Mitochondrion |
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Information AboutMitochondrion |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT MITOCHONDRION | |
| cellular respiration | |
| organelles | |
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In Power Plant s," because their primary function is to convert organic materials into energy in the form of ATP via the process of Oxidative Phosphorylation . Usually a cell has hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, which can occupy up to 25% of the cell's Cytoplasm . Mitochondria usually have Their Own DNA , and, according to the generally accepted Endosymbiotic Theory , they were originally derived from external organisms. MITOCHONDRION STRUCTURE A mitochondrion contains outer and inner membranes composed of Phospholipid Bilayer s studded with Protein s, much like a typical Cell Membrane . The two membranes, however, have very different properties. The outer mitochondrial membrane, which encloses the entire organelle, contains numerous Integral Protein s called '' Porin s'', which contain a relatively large internal channel (about 2-3 Nm ) that is permeable to all molecules of 5000 Dalton s or less 1994 . Larger molecules can only tranverse the outer membrane by Active Transport . The outer mitochondrial membrane is composed of about 50% Phospholipid s by weight and contains a variety of Enzyme s involved in such diverse activities as the elongation of Fatty Acid s, Oxidation of Epinephrine (adrenaline), and the Degradation of Tryptophan . The inner membrane contains proteins with three types of functions 1994 : # those that carry out the oxidation reactions of the respiratory chain # ATP Synthase , which makes ATP in the matrix # specific transport proteins that regulate the passage of Metabolite s into and out of the matrix. It contains more than 100 different , which is usually characteristic of Bacteria l Plasma Membrane s. Unlike the outer membrane, the inner membrane does not contain porins, and is highly-impermeable; almost all ions and molecules require special membrane transporters to enter or exit the matrix. |
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