Skip to main content
Back

Mitochondria & Chloroplasts definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/15
  • Mitochondria
    Organelle with two membranes and cristae, generating ATP through cellular respiration and containing its own DNA and ribosomes.
  • Chloroplasts
    Green organelle in plant cells, housing thylakoids and grana, and serving as the site for photosynthesis to produce glucose and oxygen.
  • ATP
    High-energy nucleotide with three phosphate groups, a ribose sugar, and adenine, acting as the main energy currency for cellular reactions.
  • Cellular Respiration
    Mitochondrial process that breaks down sugars and lipids to produce large amounts of ATP for cellular energy needs.
  • Cristae
    Folds of the inner mitochondrial membrane, increasing surface area for enzymes involved in ATP synthesis.
  • Matrix
    Innermost mitochondrial region containing enzymes, ribosomes, and circular mitochondrial DNA, crucial for metabolic reactions.
  • Outer Membrane
    Smooth, external boundary of mitochondria or chloroplasts, separating the organelle from the cytoplasm.
  • Inner Membrane
    Internal boundary of mitochondria or chloroplasts; highly folded in mitochondria, smooth in chloroplasts.
  • Intermembrane Space
    Region between the outer and inner membranes of mitochondria, involved in cellular respiration processes.
  • Photosynthesis
    Chloroplast-based process using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to synthesize glucose and release oxygen.
  • Thylakoids
    Interconnected, pancake-shaped sacs inside chloroplasts, essential for the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
  • Grana
    Stacks of thylakoids within chloroplasts, maximizing surface area for capturing light energy.
  • Stroma
    Innermost region of the chloroplast, filled with enzymes, ribosomes, and chloroplast DNA, analogous to the mitochondrial matrix.
  • Mitochondrial DNA
    Circular genetic material within mitochondria, independent from nuclear DNA, encoding essential organelle components.
  • Ribosomes
    Molecular complexes found in both mitochondria and chloroplasts, responsible for synthesizing organelle-specific proteins.