BRAINCAKEMitochondria
Mitochondria (singular: mitochondrion) are the sites of aerobic respiration, where most of a cell's ATP is made. They are usually rod-shaped or oval, about 1 µm wide and 1 to 10 µm long.
Structure
• Double membrane (envelope): the outer membrane is smooth; the inner membrane is folded into cristae.
• The cristae give a large surface area for the proteins of the electron transport chain and the enzyme ATP synthase, which make ATP (oxidative phosphorylation).
• The matrix is the fluid inside the inner membrane. It contains the enzymes of the link reaction and Krebs cycle.
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Key terms in this lesson
- atp synthase
- An enzyme, found in mitochondria, chloroplasts and cell membranes, that catalyses the synthesis of ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate.
- krebs cycle
- A cyclic series of enzyme-catalysed reactions in the mitochondrial matrix that breaks down acetate, releasing reduced coenzymes used to make ATP.
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