mitochondria
Americanplural noun
-
mitochondrion
singular
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mitochondria
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It directs cells to reorganize their mitochondria and change their muscle fiber characteristics.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
To investigate this puzzle, scientists focused on cardiolipin, a specialized fat molecule located almost exclusively within the inner membrane of mitochondria.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
The researchers discovered that cardiolipin levels decrease in muscle mitochondria from both mice and humans as they age or experience disease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
Several of these processes involve malfunctioning mitochondria, the tiny structures responsible for producing much of a cell's energy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
The second and much smaller genome is of the DNA in mitochondria; it was mapped, to little public notice, in 1981.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
One example is the mitochondrion, which helps provide the energy needed to support more demanding forms of life.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Yu Hsuan Chen, the study's first author and a doctoral student in Zhao's laboratory, compared the mitochondrion to both an engine and a communication center for the cell.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2025
Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child and can be found in hundreds of copies within each mitochondrion, which make it easier to recover and analyze.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 25, 2023
The fat cells from the older, sedentary men showed relatively poor mitochondrial health, with fewer mitochondria than in the young men’s fat and less energy produced by each mitochondrion.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 12, 2022
The cells in a drop of blood contain a different sort of molecular factory, the mitochondrion, which combines food with oxygen to extract useful energy.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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