A cell is a structural and functional unit of life. It consists of Plasma Membrane, Cell Wall, Nucleus, Cytoplasm, Ribosomes, Golgi bodies, Mitochondria, Lysosomes, and Plastids etc. Here, we will study mitochondria, its structure, and function.
Mitochondria is present in the cytoplasm of all eukaryotic cells. They are membrane-bound organelles and produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the main energy molecule used by the cell.
Why are mitochondria known as the powerhouse of the cell?
Mitochondria are referred to as the powerhouse of the cell or energy factories because they help in extracting energy from food via cellular respiration. The energy is released in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is also called the energy currency of the cell.
Powerhouse function:
During digestion, food breaks down and products from digestion of food find their way into the cell then a series of chemical reactions occur in the cytoplasm. This permits some of the energy locked up in these products to be released and incorporated into the universal energy supplier in cells called ATP.
From this process, remaining molecular fragments then enter the mitochondria and there they are finally converted into carbon dioxide and water. In these fragments, the energy locked up is incorporated into more ATP.
The ATP produced can be used by the cell to supply energy required to function.
ATP → ADP + P + energy to function
During the breakdown of glucose, the chemical reaction that occurs is:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (ATP)
Glucose Oxygen Carbon dioxide Water
Mitochondrial Disease
Most of the mitochondrial diseases are due to mutations in nuclear DNA that affect products that end up in the mitochondria. These mutations can be inherited or spontaneous.
When the functioning of mitochondria is stopped then the cell is starved of energy. Therefore, depending on the type of cell, symptoms may vary. In general, cells that require the largest amounts of energy like cardiac muscle cells and nerves, are affected the most by faulty mitochondria.
If in a disease, different symptoms are generated but due to the same mutation then it is referred to as genocopies.
In converse, diseases that have the same symptoms but are caused due to mutations in different genes are known as phenocopies.
Mitochondrial disease symptoms vary largely, they might include:
- Vision or hearing problem
- Loss of muscle coordination and weakness
- Disabilities in learning
- Heart, liver or kidney disease
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Neurological problems
Conditions that are involved in some level of mitochondrial dysfunction are:
- Parkinson's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
- Diabetes
- Huntington's disease
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.
So, we can say that, any sort of irregularities that occur in the function of mitochondria affect the health of humans, but often, it is difficult to identify because symptoms vary from person to person. In some cases, disorders of the mitochondria can be quite severe, and it can cause an organ to fail.
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