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Underground > Laboratory >

Mitochondria: they're not really "yours"...

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

22:46 / 02.06.05

It amazes me that no one told me about this in school. I've had plenty of biology classes, but they all failed to point out the most interesting aspect of mitochondria: they don't come from you. They have their own set of DNA. You don't "grow" them, you inherit them. They were present in your mother's egg when the sperm showed up with his half of the genetic material and got on the boat, so to speak.

Many scientists believe that they were originally a type of bacteria, propably parasitical, that eventually developed a symbiotic relationship with eukaryotic cells and liked it so much they stuck around.

Outstanding. I've decided to do my Enviromental Science research project about them, so I'll have more in a week or so. I'm positive that I'll discover some interesting, if not astounding, information that I will share with you all if you give me a dollar. Hell, I'll do it for free just because I've become fascinated with the little bastards.

08:47 / 04.06.05

I just took Biomolecular Chem after taking several anthropology classes where I learned about this, and I've wondered about it too... so many fundamental metabolic processes happen in the mitochondria (Glycolysis, TCA cycle, Electron Transport Chain, Gluconeogenesis, etc.) to manufacture ATP and break stuff down, I wonder how we managed to metabolise anything before mitochondria "invaded" our species. I don't think we'd be able to rely soley on anaerobic metabolism? Anyone out there know this?

09:28 / 04.06.05

Mitochondria never invaded our species. we ate (phagocytosis) them and we did it when we were only single celled prokaryotes and eukaryotes. chloroplasts are the same way in plants. whats really cool is red and brown algae, whose chloroplasts are not derived in the same way as normal plant chloroplasts but may be eukaryotic cells that red algas and brown algae ate. I thinks some theories have red algea and brown algae eating each other in stange patterns were they enslave the sand chloroplasts three different times bymultiple organisms. Also they are totally my mitochondria, they are my slaves and cannot live outside my cells. I have full and complete ownership of them and I even cause them to reproduce when I feel like it. they don't get to decide.

Darumesten's second variety

18:22 / 04.06.05

I'm sorry this is not a very scientific comment but .. doesn't it remind you of star wars midichlorians ?????

Our Lady Has Left the Building

11:21 / 06.06.05

Not really, because Lucas didn't bother to explain his pseudoscience much...

Darumesten's second variety

11:56 / 06.06.05

Touché. But if he could do midichlorians merchandise, he would ..

13:19 / 06.06.05

I wonder how we managed to metabolise anything before mitochondria "invaded" our species. I don't think we'd be able to rely soley on anaerobic metabolism? Anyone out there know this?

I don't think we could survive on non-mitochondrial anaerobic respiration because: A) Natural glycolysis only produces 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule as opposed to the 36 provided by our busy little mitochondrial power stations B) Because we would be producing alcohol instead of carbon dioxide and lactic acid whenever we respired. This would not be good for our livers.

My question, which is slightly aside, is this: if plants use photosynthesis for energy and we use mitochondiral aerobic respiration, what do those multicellular lifeforms that live around those super-hot oceanic chimneys where no sunlight ever reaches? I've heard the term 'thermosynthesis' mentioned as regards this, but it doesn't mean anything to me. Anyone know?

13:23 / 06.06.05

Ahh, looks like I might have been thinking of chemosynthesis.

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

19:47 / 06.06.05

And now you see how I've tricked you all into writing half this paper for me. Mu hu ha hah hah.

One interesting bit that I learned is that mitochondria play a big role in apoptosis (cell death). Enough of a role for one writer for The Scientist to call them an "organellar Cerberus, gatekeeper of cell death". Really, it's more of a switch that can initiate apoptosis. Big deal for something I didn't make myself, in my opinion.

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

19:54 / 06.06.05

Hmm. I take back what I said about "most scientists believe blah blah blah, probably parasitical...". Actually, most scientists don't believe that, just the one I was talking to recently who apparently isn't very caught up on the subject. In all likelyhood, what eventually became our cells ate what eventually became our mitochondria but didn't digest them (for whatever reason). Over the years, they handed over most of their DNA and molecular machinery but gained a place to live.

02:47 / 07.06.05

It seems the Endosymbiotic Theory is what most scientists belive.

02:13 / 08.06.05

Because we would be producing alcohol instead of carbon dioxide and lactic acid whenever we respired. This would not be good for our livers.

yebbut, it would be handy for when people drop by and the off-licence is shut! wonder what it would taste like? is grappa a clue???

13:12 / 08.06.05

On a connected subject, it was reported in New Scientist that the freshwater Hydra, an animal related to jellyfish and coral, is believed to have become the first animal found to possess a plant gene. Researchers found a gene for a peroxidase enzyme present in Hydra that live in symbiosis with Chlorella algae that wasn't present in non-symbiotic Hydra.

The gene resembles no other known animal gene. The researchers believe the gene probably came from a previous symbiont.