Biology 2290F/G Study Guide - Pyruvate Dehydrogenase, Intermembrane Space, Electrochemical Gradient
4 Dec 2013
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Document Summary
Their main function is to provide the energy necessary for cellular functions. By examining an electron micrograph, the mitochondria possess a double-membrane. The inner membrane is quite creased and these folds, known as cristae, increase the surface area of the mitochondrial inner membrane. This double-membrane also divides the mitochondria into two different compartments, the mitochondrial matrix and the intermembrane space. Mitochondria are more accurately represented as long coil of organelles and not merely individual objects. The primary role of mitochondria is to produce the energy molecule known as atp. The first pathway of cellular respiration that converts 1 molecule of glucose into 2 pyruvate, is an ancient, yet wasteful process. Most cells carry about this process, however it generates little atp and most of the energy is contained within the pyruvate and nadh molecules, which are not used in glycolysis. Ancestral prokaryotic cells, containing a plasma membrane and no nucleus, originally only produced energy through glycolysis.
