Why are mitochondria called the powerhouse of the cell?
They produce most of the cell's ATP through cellular respiration, powering nearly every energy-requiring process in the cell.
02
What are cristae and why are they important?
Folds of the inner mitochondrial membrane. They dramatically increase surface area for the electron transport chain and ATP synthase, boosting ATP production.
03
Where does the citric acid cycle take place?
In the mitochondrial matrix — the gel-like space enclosed by the inner membrane.
04
How many ATP can a single glucose molecule produce in mitochondria?
Roughly 30–32 ATP through the combined work of glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
05
What is unusual about mitochondrial DNA?
It's circular (like bacterial DNA), inherited only from the mother, and codes for a small subset of mitochondrial proteins. It supports the endosymbiotic theory.
06
What is the endosymbiotic theory?
The theory that mitochondria originated as free-living bacteria engulfed by an ancestral eukaryotic cell, eventually becoming a permanent symbiotic organelle.
07
How do mitochondria reproduce?
By binary fission — splitting in two — independently of cell division. This lets cells regulate mitochondrial number based on energy demand.
08
What is the role of the electron transport chain?
It pumps protons across the inner membrane using energy from electron transfers, creating the gradient that drives ATP synthase to produce ATP.