mitochondrion: Quick Facts

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Oct. 26, 2026

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Scientists Develop a Remarkable New Coating for the Powerhouses of Our Cells • Oct. 22, 2026, 7:14 AM ET (SciTechDaily)

Facts

Also Known As	chondriosome • mitochondria

Photos and Videos

Fluorescent confocal image of HeLa cells with green microtubules outlining cell shapes, red mitochondria, and blue nuclei.

Diagram showing the steps of ATP production in a cell, with glucose entering through the cell membrane, glycolysis in the cytoplasm, and further ATP generated inside a mitochondrion through the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.

Transmission electron micrograph of partially contracted human striated muscle fiber, showing red bands of actin and myosin filaments and green mitochondria supplying energy.

Diagram of the respiratory chain in metabolism, showing the flow of electrons from NADH and FADH2 through complexes and cytochromes, ending with the reduction of oxygen to water. Key molecules, sites, and electron transfers are labeled.

Cutaway illustration of a eukaryotic animal cell showing labeled internal structures, including the nucleus, nucleolus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and other organelles.

Diagram of a mitochondrion cut lengthwise, showing labeled parts including outer and inner membranes, intermembrane space, cristae, matrix, DNA, ribosomes, and membrane protein portions.

Illustration comparing three cell types: a round animal cell and an irregularly shaped plant cell, both showing labeled organelles, and an elongated bacteria cell with labeled structures such as flagella and capsule.

Side-by-side labeled diagrams of a typical animal cell and a plant cell, showing internal structures such as nucleus, mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, and unique features like chloroplasts and cell wall in the plant cell.

The video thumbnail image shows an illustration of an animal cell next to a photo of a whale swimming in the oean.

How Are Plant Cells Different from Animal Cells?

How different parts of a cell interact

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Topics

matrix crista mtDNA endosymbiont hypothesis mitochondrial disease Organelle Golgi apparatus Nitroplast endoplasmic reticulum peroxisome hydrogenosome ribosome lysosome nucleus cytoskeleton vacuole

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Key People

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Bruce Ames

American biochemist and geneticist

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Albert Claude

Belgian-American cytologist

Mechanism of cellular autophagy, illustration for Nobel Prize Award in Medicine 2016. 3D illustration showing fusion of lysosome with autophagosome containing microbes and molecules.

Parts of a Cell Quiz