Mitochondrion Essay, Research Paper

Mitochondrion

Mitochondrion are the power plant of a cell. The mitochondria are cells

based within a cell that turn nutrients from chemical form into a more simple

and usable substance for a cell to use as energy.

These sausage-shaped organelles are not a true organelle, but more of a

parasite that invaded primordial cells and evolved along with them. A

mitochondrian?s main purpose is to burn energy through a slow method of

combustion, which will consume as much air to burn as fire will, just to break

down nutrients into simpler substances. These simpler molecules then bond with

the atoms that will need the energy to function. Then, enzymes in the

mitochondrion break up the atoms and then recapture them again. This time, the

energy atoms will be bonded in a different molecule to form ATP, or adenosine

triphosphate. ATP has an adenosine core and three phosphates attached to it,

hence its name.

These phosphates will store the new energy. ATP can travel throughout

the cell freely and allows the stored energy to then be distributed evenly in

the cell. Other organelles will find the ATP and break off the phosphates full

of ready-to-use energy.Once the adenosine has been stripped of phosphates it

will travel back to the mitochondrion to be reloaded with new phosphates.