mitochondria

American  

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

plural noun

Cell Biology.

singular

mitochondrion

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

Scott has his eye on mitochondrial transplantation, in which healthy mitochondria, the cell’s minute, energy-producing structures, are transferred into cells to—theoretically—restore their ability to generate power and survive.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Determining how CoA reaches mitochondria has been challenging because the molecule rarely exists alone inside cells.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

The enzyme needed to produce CoA is located mainly outside mitochondria.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

In fact, as much as 95% of CoA is concentrated in mitochondria.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

At the interior of our cells, driving them, providing the oxidative energy that sends us out for the improvement of each shining day, are the mitochondria, and in a strict sense they are not ours.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas