Mitochondrion

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mitochondrion

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary function?Generation of ATP through aerobic respiration via oxidative phosphorylation
2. What is the evolutionary origin?Believed to have evolved from endosymbiotic alpha-proteobacteria
3. What are mitochondria and why are they important?Mitochondria are tiny organelles inside cells that produce ATP, the energy that powers everything from muscle movement to brain signals. They are the cell’s main power plants.
4. How do mitochondria make energy?They use a process called cellular respiration, which includes the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation inside the inner membrane. This creates ATP from food molecules.

Oxidative Phosphorylation: The metabolic pathway that uses enzymes to oxidize nutrients, releasing energy used to produce ATP.
Endosymbiosis: A symbiotic relationship where one organism lives inside another, leading to co-evolution.
Apoptosis: Programmed cell death, a crucial process for development and tissue homeostasis.
Cristae: The folds of the inner mitochondrial membrane that increase surface area for ATP synthesis.