Mitochondria
Membrane-bound organelles in eukaryotic cells that generate most of the cell's ATP through cellular respiration. Often called the 'powerhouses' of the cell.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 8 chapters:
"... when you need energy immediately and don't have time for the slower, more efficient pathways. The Krebs Cycle (or citric acid cycle) happens in mitochondria. It takes the pyruvate from glycolysis and completely oxidizes it, harvesting high-energy electrons. This is more efficient than glycolysis alone. *..."
"They're symbionts - species that form mutually beneficial partnerships, trading capabilities neither could provide alone. Mitochondria power eukaryotic cells because an ancient bacterium merged with a host cell, creating a symbiotic relationship so successful it's now universal in co..."
"... mutual advantage. Biology discovered this principle long before business schools did. No complex organism survives in isolation. Your cells contain mitochondria - once independent bacteria that merged with ancestral cells between 1.5 and 2 billion years ago. Every breath you take depends on this ancient symbi..."
"Autophagy (Cellular Cleanup)** Inside a well-fed cell, the scene is pure abundance. Ribosomes churn out fresh proteins. Mitochondria bud and multiply. The cell builds, builds, builds - anabolism in overdrive. Damaged proteins accumulate in corners, but who cares? New production out..."
"white fat: - White fat: Stores energy (1 gram = 9 calories storage) - Brown fat: Burns energy (1 gram = 300 mitochondria generating heat) - Efficiency: Brown fat generates 300× more heat than white fat - Distribution: Newborns 5% body weight brown fat, adults 0.1% Th..."
And 3 more chapters...
Biological Context
Mitochondria were once free-living bacteria that became permanent symbionts within ancestral eukaryotic cells (endosymbiosis). They retain their own DNA and reproduce independently within cells. Mitochondrial function affects aging, disease, and metabolic capacity.