Mitochondria are small structures found inside most cells in your body, often called the “powerhouses of the cell” because their main job is to produce energy.
Here’s what makes them important:
Energy production: Mitochondria convert nutrients (like glucose from food) and oxygen into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the energy currency your cells use to function. This process is called cellular respiration.
Structure: They have a unique double-membrane structure – an outer membrane and an inner membrane that’s folded into structures called cristae. These folds increase the surface area where energy production occurs.
Unique features: Mitochondria are unusual because they have their own DNA, separate from the DNA in your cell’s nucleus. This suggests they were once independent bacteria that formed a symbiotic relationship with early cells billions of years ago.
Inheritance: You inherit your mitochondria almost exclusively from your mother, which is why mitochondrial DNA is used to trace maternal lineages in genetics.
Cell types: Active cells that need lots of energy (like muscle cells, brain cells, and heart cells) contain hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, while less active cells have fewer.
When mitochondria don’t work properly, it can lead to various health problems, particularly affecting organs that require a lot of energy like the brain, muscles, and heart.