mitochondria
|mi-to-chon-dri-a|
🇺🇸
/ˌmaɪtəˈkɑːndriə/
🇬🇧
/ˌmaɪtəˈkɒndriə/
(mitochondrion)
thread-like energy organelle
Etymology
'mitochondrion' originates from Modern New Latin/Greek, specifically from the Greek words 'mitos' meaning 'thread' and 'chondrion' meaning 'small granule' (diminutive of 'chondros').
'mitochondrion' was coined in German scientific literature in the late 19th century (credited to Carl Benda, 1898 as 'Mitochondrien') and was adopted into English as 'mitochondrion' (plural 'mitochondria').
Initially used to describe thread-like or granular structures observed in cells, the term came to denote the specific membrane-bound organelles responsible for cellular energy production and other metabolic functions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'mitochondrion'.
Mitochondria are often called the powerhouses of the cell.
Synonyms
Noun 2
membrane-bound organelles in eukaryotic cells that produce most of the cell's adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by aerobic respiration and are involved in processes such as metabolism, calcium signaling, and programmed cell death (apoptosis).
The study showed that damaged mitochondria reduce the cell's ability to produce energy.
Synonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/10/20 22:30