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Q.Explain mitochondria with diagram.

Rajasthan RbseRajasthan Board Senior Secondary Part-I Examination 2017Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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Figure — The stem asks to explain mitochondria 'with diagram'; the catalog figure is a labelled longitudinal section of
Figure — The stem asks to explain mitochondria 'with diagram'; the catalog figure is a labelled longitudinal section of

Mitochondria are double-membrane organelles, with the inner membrane folded into cristae, that are the site of aerobic respiration and ATP production — the "powerhouse of the cell".

Structure (described, as no image can be embedded here):

Imagine an oval/rod-shaped organelle bounded by two concentric membranes with a fluid-filled space between them:

  • Outer membrane: A smooth, continuous boundary membrane, permeable to most small molecules; encloses the entire organelle.
  • Perimitochondrial (intermembrane) space: The narrow fluid space between the outer and inner membranes.
  • Inner membrane: Less permeable, and folded inward repeatedly to form finger-like or shelf-like projections called cristae, which greatly increase the surface area available for the electron transport chain and ATP synthase complexes (visible as small stalked particles, F0-F1 particles, studding the inner surface of the cristae).
  • Matrix: The space enclosed by the inner membrane, containing a gel-like fluid with the enzymes of the citric acid (Krebs) cycle, single circular mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), 70S ribosomes, and RNA — mitochondria can therefore synthesise some of their own proteins and divide independently (semi-autonomous organelle, per the endosymbiotic theory). …

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