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Photonics Dictionary

mitochondria

Mitochondria are organelles found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells, which are cells that have a membrane-bound nucleus and other organelles. They are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell because their primary function is to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through a process called cellular respiration. Mitochondria are double-membraned structures with an outer membrane and an inner membrane that is highly folded into structures called cristae.

Apart from energy production, mitochondria are involved in other essential cellular processes, such as regulation of cell cycle and growth, signaling, and cell differentiation. They also play roles in apoptosis (programmed cell death) and are important in calcium homeostasis and metabolism.

Mitochondria possess their own genetic material, known as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and replicate independently within the cell. This characteristic has led to hypotheses suggesting that mitochondria have an evolutionary origin distinct from the rest of the eukaryotic cell, possibly originating from symbiotic bacteria engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.

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