mitochondria

[mahy-tuh-kon-dree-uh]

plural noun

Cell Biology.

singular

mitochondrion 

1. organelles that are found in the cytoplasm of cells and that function in energy production.

Other Word Forms

• mitochondrial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mitochondria¹

First recorded in 1900–05; from German Mitochondrion (singular), equivalent to Greek míto(s) “thread” + chóndr(os) “grain, seed, cartilage” + -ia plural of diminutive suffix -ion

Example Sentences

A newly identified kind of DNA damage inside mitochondria, the small structures that supply cells with energy, may help explain how the body detects and reacts to stress.

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A key reason is the shrinking number of mitochondria, the small, organ-like structures inside cells that supply most of the energy a cell uses.

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The team pinpointed a protein that enables cancer cells to alter the shape of their mitochondria, the structures that generate cellular energy.

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The team is looking at how frequencies of red light can change the mitochondria inside the brain to improve focus.

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"We were stunned -- not only did kidney function stay normal, but the mitochondria were unscathed," Summers says.

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