Function of mitochondria

Organelle in eukaryotic cells responsible for respiration

"Mitochondria" redirects here. For the song by Kenichi Suzumura, see Mitochondria (song).

For the Canadian band, see Mitochondrion (band).

A mitochondrion (pl. mitochondria) is an organelle found in the cells of most eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi.

Mitochondria structure

Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used throughout the cell as a source of chemical energy.^[2] They were discovered by Albert von Kölliker in 1857^[3] in the voluntary muscles of insects.

Meaning a thread-like granule, the term mitochondrion was coined by Carl Benda in 1898. The mitochondrion is popularly nicknamed the "powerhouse of the cell", a phrase popularized by Philip Siekevitz in a 1957 Scientific American article of the same name.^[4]

Some cells in some multicellular organisms lack mitochondria (for example,