mitochondria

American  

[mahy-tuh-kon-dree-uh] / ˌmaɪ təˈkɒn dri ə /

plural noun

Cell Biology.

• mitochondrion
  singular

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

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Other Word Forms

• mitochondrial
  adjective

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

See Examples For:

mitochondria mitochondrion

Damaged mitochondria can leak DNA and RNA into parts of the cell where those molecules normally should not be present.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Mayo Clinic, and collaborating institutions have now uncovered a previously unknown connection between mitochondria, cell metabolism, and this chronic inflammation.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

The study builds on more than 20 years of research led by Cohen, who helped pioneer the discovery of peptides produced by mitochondria.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

To answer that question, researchers turned their attention to mitochondria, the tiny structures inside cells often described as their power plants.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026

After the first, preliminary steps of oxidation have been performed in the cytoplasm the fuel molecule is taken into the mitochondria.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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