mitochondrial

American  

[mahy-tuh-kahn-dree-uhl] / ˌmaɪ təˈkɑn dri əl /

adjective

1. relating to mitochondria.

---

Explanation

Anything mitochondrial has to do with the tiny energy-producing organelles in a cell. Mitochondrial diseases result in damage to cells when they can't generate enough energy. Mitochondrial comes from mitochondria, those billions and billions of minuscule parts of a cell that act as its battery, generating energy to keep it functioning. A German microbiologist coined the word from Greek roots mitos, "thread," and khondrion, "little granule." Mitochondrial DNA is the specific genetic material within mitochondria; and mitochondrial therapies can involve replacing parts of a person's mitochondria in order to treat or prevent certain diseases.

Example Sentences

The findings point to a common pathway that connects various types of cellular stress to mitochondrial damage and stem cell aging.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

"Over a century later, it is emerging as an elegantly conserved mechanism at the heart of mitochondrial biology. This biophysical process offers a simple and energy efficient means to distribute the mitochondrial genome."

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

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

"We found genes that in larger animals are associated with mitochondrial thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue," Gallio said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

His six-person team contacted 173 people from a small village in what had been Botocudo country, explained what they were doing, obtained blood samples and extracted and examined the mitochondrial DNA.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann