This month’s trivia question asked what is the mitochondria. The mitochondria reside in animal cells. They produce the cell's energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. The inner membrane of a mitochondrion is folded into structures called cristae. Interestingly:
“Mitochondria are believed to be the evolutionary descendent of an event where and anaerobic eukaryotic cell (cells capable of growing in the absence of oxygen) engulfed an aerobic (oxygen-utilizing) bacterium. The event produced a symbiotic relationship between the two still-independent organisms. The eukaryotic cells received ATP in exchange for supplying nutrients to the engulfed bacteria, and the bacteria provided ATP and allowed the eukaryotic cell to survive in the increasingly oxygenated atmosphere present early in Earth's history. Over time, the relationship became obligatory, and what was once a bacterium became an organelle of the eukaryotic cell.”
The question, and answer, were found in Gale Interactive: Science. Gale Interactive: Science helps students better visualize and understand concepts in biology, chemistry, earth, and space science. Students and instructors can manipulate and explore 3D models that are paired with reference and periodical content for further understanding. The particular article referenced was:
"Mitochondrion." Biology, edited by Richard Robinson, Macmillan Reference USA, 2009. Interactive Science
Find Gale Interactive: Science on the library’s Research & Homework page under “G” and access it with your library card.
