mitochondria

mitochondria /mi·to·chon·dria/ (mi″to-kon´dre-ah) sing. mitochon´drion   [Gr.] small spherical to rod-shaped cytoplasmic organelles, enclosed by two membranes separated by an intermembranous space; the inner membrane is infolded, forming a series of projections (cristae). Mitochondria are the principal sites of ATP synthesis; they contain enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and for fatty acid oxidation, oxidative phosphorylation, and many other biochemical pathways. They contain their own nucleic acids and ribosomes, replicate independently, and code for the synthesis of some of their own proteins.mitochon´drial

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Mitochondria

Spherical or rod shaped parts of the cell. Mitochondria contain genetic material (DNA and RNA) and are responsible for converting food to energy.

Mentioned in: Ophthalmoplegia, Reye's Syndrome

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mitochondrion

[mī′tōkon′drē·on] pl. mitochondria

Etymology: Gk, mitos, thread, chondros, cartilage

a rodlike, threadlike, or granular organelle that functions in aerobic respiration and occurs in varying numbers in all eukaryotic cells except mature erythrocytes. It is bounded by two sets of membranes, a smooth outer one and an inner one that is arranged in folds, or cristae, that extend into the interior of the mitochondrion, called the matrix. Mitochondria provide the principal source of cellular energy through oxidative phosphorylation and adenosine triphosphate synthesis. They also contain the enzymes involved with electron transport and the citric acid and fatty acid cycles. Mitochondria are self-replicating and contain their own DNA, RNA polymerase, transfer RNA, and ribosomes. Also called chondriosome. mitochondrial, adj.

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mitochondria

(mī´tōkon´drē),
n.pl small, rodlike, threadlike, or granular organelles within the cytoplasm that function in cellular metabolism and respiration and occur in varying numbers in all living cells except bacteria, viruses, blue-green algae, and mature erythrocytes.

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mitochondria

[Gr.] plural of mitochondrion; small, spherical to rod-shaped, membrane-bounded cytoplasmic organelles that are the principal sites of ATP synthesis; they also contain enzymes of the citric acid cycle and for fatty acid oxidation, oxidative phosphorylation, and other biochemical pathways. Mitochondria also contain DNA, RNA and ribosomes; they replicate independently and synthesize some of their own proteins.