Explain the role of mitochondria in yeast cells?

Question

Also, what is mitochondria?

Answer 1

As other people said, mitochondria is the powerhouse that make ATP (energy) for all living cells or organisms (not just yeast cells) to do work. Therefore without mitochondria, yeast cells and other organism would not be able to do work. For example:

Cells need to regulate things in and out of the cells. One of the mechanism for regulate thing out of the cell is by the process called "active tranport" such as "sodium-potassium pump".

This means the cells use ATP (energy) to actively pump or transport 3 sodium out of the cell in an exchange of 2 potassium in the cell against their concentration gradient (from lower concentration to higher concentration).

This is also how the cell maintain its environment called "homeostasis". Without mitochondria to make ATP, the cell would not be able to control its environment.

Answer 2

Mitochondria: Architecture dictates function
Mitochondria are the cells' power sources. They are distinct organelles with two membranes. Usually they are rod-shaped, however they can be round. The outer membrane limits the organelle. The inner membrane is thrown into folds or shelves that project inward. These are called "cristae mitochondriales". This electron micrograph taken from Fawcett, A Textbook of Histology, Chapman and Hall, 12th edition, 1994, shows the organization of the two membranes

yoy can find a much more detailed information here http://cellbio.utmb.edu/cellbio/mitoch1.htm

Answer 3

Mitochondria is the power house of the cell.

Answer 4

MItovhondria are the" power houses of cell"They are useful for cellular respiration or release of energy.
IN any cell mitochondria perform the same function even in yeast

Answer 5

first of all... a mitochondria is a common particle (it can be found both in animal and vegetal cells) found in cells.
and the role of the mitochondria is in cellular breathing.

Answer 6

mitochondria is a organel in a cell that works as a energy combustion chamber. it produces energy by oxydating glucose. The product of this reaction is CO2.

Answer 7

Eliminate Yeast Infection Fast - http://YeastCured.uzaev.com/?quCe

Answer 8

In cell biology, a mitochondrion (plural mitochondria) (from Greek μιτος or mitos, thread + κουδριον or khondrion, granule) is a membrane-enclosed organelle, found in most eukaryotic cells.[1] Mitochondria are sometimes described as "cellular power plants," because they convert food molecules into energy in the form of ATP via the process of oxidative phosphorylation. A typical eukaryotic cell contains about 2,000 mitochondria, which occupy roughly one fifth of its total volume.[2] Mitochondria contain DNA that is independent of the DNA located in the cell nucleus. According to the endosymbiotic theory, mitochondria are descended from free-living prokaryotes.

Mitochondrial functions
Although it is well known that the mitochondria convert organic materials into cellular energy in the form of ATP, mitochondria play an important role in many metabolic tasks, such as:

Apoptosis-programmed cell death
Glutamate-mediated excitotoxic neuronal injury
Cellular proliferation
Regulation of the cellular redox state
Heme synthesis
Steroid synthesis
Some mitochondrial functions are performed only in specific types of cells. For example, mitochondria in liver cells contain enzymes that allow them to detoxify ammonia, a waste product of protein metabolism. A mutation in the genes regulating any of these functions can result in mitochondrial diseases.


[edit] Energy conversion
A dominant role for the mitochondria is the production of ATP as reflected by the large number of proteins in the inner membrane for this task. This is done by oxidising the major products of glycolysis: pyruvate and NADH that are produced in the cytosol. This process of cellular respiration, also known as aerobic respiration, is dependent on the presence of oxygen. When oxygen is limited the glycolytic products will be metabolised by anaerobic respiration a process that is independent of the mitochondria. The production of ATP from glucose has an approximately 15 fold higher yield during aerobic respiration compared to anaerobic respiration.


[edit] Pyruvate: the citric acid cycle
Main articles: pyruvate decarboxylation and citric acid cycle
Each pyruvate molecule produced by glycolysis is actively transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane, and into the matrix where it is oxidized and combined with coenzyme A to form CO2, acetyl CoA and NADH.

The acetyl CoA is the primary substrate to enter the citric acid cycle , also known as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle or Krebs cycle. The enzymes of the citric acid cycle are located in the mitochondrial matrix with the exception of succinate dehydrogenase, which is bound to the inner mitochondrial membrane. The citric acid cycle oxidises the acetyl CoA to carbon dioxide and in the process produces reduced cofactors (three molecules of NADH and one molecule of FADH2), that are a source of electrons for the electron transport chain, and a molecule of GTP (that is readily converted to an ATP).


[edit] NADH and FADH2: the electron transport chain
Main article: electron transport chain

Schematic of typical animal cell, showing subcellular components. Organelles: (1) nucleolus (2) nucleus (3) ribosome (4) vesicle (5) rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (6) Golgi apparatus (7) Cytoskeleton (8) smooth ER (9) mitochondria (10) vacuole (11) cytoplasm (12) lysosome (13) centriolesThe redox energy from NADH and FADH2 is transferred to oxygen (O2) in several steps via the electron transport chain. These energy-rich molecules are produced within the matrix via the citric acid cycle but are also produced in the cytoplasm by glycolysis; reducing equivalents from the cytoplasm can be imported via the malate-aspartate shuttle system of antiporter proteins or feed into the electron transport chain using a glycerol phosphate shuttle. Protein complexes in the inner membrane (NADH dehydrogenase, cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome c oxidase) perform the transfer and the incremental release of energy is used to pump protons (H+) into the intermembrane space. This process is efficient but a small percentage of electrons may prematurely reduce oxygen, forming the toxic free radical superoxide. This can cause oxidative damage in the mitochondria and may contribute to the decline in mitochondrial function associated with the aging process.[4]

As the proton concentration increases in the intermembrane space, a strong electrochemical gradient is established across the inner membrane. The protons can return to the matrix through the ATP synthase complex and their potential energy is used to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate (Pi). This process is called chemiosmosis and was first described by Peter Mitchell who was awarded the 1978 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work. Later, part of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Paul D. Boyer and John E. Walker for their clarification of the working mechanism of ATP synthase.


[edit] Heat production
Under certain conditions, protons can re-enter the mitochondrial matrix without contributing to ATP synthesis. This process is known as proton leak or mitochondrial uncoupling and is due to the facilitated diffusion of protons into the matrix, mediated by a proton channel called thermogenin. This results in the unharnessed potential energy of the proton electrochemical gradient being released as heat. Thermogenin is found in brown adipose tissue (brown in colour due to high levels of mitochondria) where it is used to generate heat by non-shivering thermogenesis. Non-shivering thermogenesis is the primary means of heat generation in newborn or hibernating mammals.


[edit] Storage for calcium ions
The concentrations of free calcium in the cell can regulate an array of reactions and is important for signal transduction in the cell. Mitochondria store free calcium, a process that is one important event for the homestasis of calcium in the cell. Release of this calcium back into the cells interior can initiate calcium spikes or waves. These events coordinate processes such as neurotransmitter release in nerve cells and release of hormones in endocrine cells.