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Unit 3 Mitochondria

Mitochondria short notes

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70 views7 pages

Unit 3 Mitochondria

Mitochondria short notes

Uploaded by

ghosaltanmay534
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Unit-3: MITOCHONDRIA

Definition: Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles present in the cytoplasm of all


eukaryotic cells, that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy molecule
used by the cell.

Chemical Structure Of Mitochondrial Membrane:


The inner and outer membranes are 60-70A broad, the distance between two membranes
is 40-70Å. The two membranes is 40-70Å. The two membranes differ both structurally and
functionally.
Their characteristics and chemical structure are as follows:
1.Cristae: projection of inner membrane.
2.Electron transfer and ATP synthesis: This system is present only in inner membrane as
Kerbs cycle enzymes are present in matrix. So matrix and inner membrane combine to form
the respiratory unit.
3.Lipids: Remain as phospholipid and present in large amounts in outer membrane.
4.Protein: 10% of mitochondrial proteins are present in membrane of them 60% in inner
membrane. The proteins of inner membrane can be divided into I-V complex. Among them
I-IV complex aid in electron transfer and complex V helps in ATP synthesis.
5.Enzyme: Generally the enzymes of outer membrane do not participate in oxidative
phosphorylation but all enzymes of electron transfer and ATP synthesis are present in inner
membrane. Besides, passive diffusion of ions take place through outer membrane but not
in inner membrane.
Functions Of Mitochondria:
Functions of mitochondria depends on the cell type in which they are present.
• The most important function of the mitochondria is to produce energy. The simpler
molecules of nutrition are sent to the mitochondria to be processed and to produce
charged molecules. These charged molecules combine with oxygen and produce ATP
molecules. This process is known as oxidative phosphorylation.
•Mitochondria help the cells to maintain proper concentration of calcium ions within the
compartments of the cell.
•The mitochondria also help in building certain parts of blood and hormones like
testosterone and estrogen.
•The liver cells mitochondria have enzymes that detoxify ammonia.
•The mitochondria also play important role in the process of apoptosis or programmed cell
death. Abnormal death of cells due to the dysfunction of mitochondria can affect the
function of organ.
Mitochondrial DNA:
Mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA or mDNA is the DNA in the mitochondria, rest of the DNA
present in the eukaryotic cells is in the nucleus, in plants DNA is also found in chloroplasts.
The mitochondria have a small amount of DNA of their own. Human mitochondrial DNA
spans about 16,500 DNA base pairs, it represents a small fraction of the total DNA in cells.
The mtDNA contains 37 genes. All these genes are essential for normal function of the
mitochondria.
These DNA help the mitochondria divide independently from the cell. mtDNA is maternally
inherited. The fact that mtDNA is maternally inherited enables to trace the maternal lineage
far back in time.
The mt DNA in most multicellualr organisms is circular, covalently closed, double-stranded
DNA. mtDNA is susceptible to free oxygen radicals. Mutations in the mitochondrial DNA
leads to a number of illness like exercise intolerance.
Structure Of Mitochondria:
• Mitochondria are enclosed by two membranes a smooth outer membrane and a
markedly folded or tubular inner mitochondrial membrane, which has a large surface
and encloses the matrix space.
• The folds of the inner membrane are known as cristae, and tube-like protrusions
are called tubules.
• Tissues with intensive oxidative metabolism.
e.g., heart muscle-have mitochondria with particularly large numbers of cristae.
• Mitochondria are mobile, plastic organelles.
• This endo-symbiont theory is supported by many findings. For example,
mitochondria have a ring-shaped DNA (four molecules per mitochondrion) and
have their own ribosomes. The mitochondrial genome became smaller and smaller
during the course of evolution.
• Only these 13 proteins (mostly subunits of respiratory chain complexes) are
produced in the mitochondrion.
• The mitochondrial envelope consisting of two membranes also supports the
endosymbiont theory.
• Both mitochondrial membranes are very rich in proteins.
• Porins in the outer membrane allow small molecules to be exchanged between the
cytoplasm and the intermembrane space.

Endo-Symbiotic Hypothesis:
In this theory, the first eukaryotic cell was probably an amoeba-like cell that got
nutrients by phagocytosis and contained a nucleus that formed when a piece of the
cytoplasmic membrane pinched off around the chromosomes. Some of these amoeba-
like organisms ingested prokaryotic cells that then survived within the organism and
developed a symbiotic relationship. Mitochondria formed when bacteria capable of
aerobic respiration were ingested; chloroplasts formed when photosynthetic bacteria were
ingested. They
eventually lost their cell wall and much of their DNA because they were not of benefit
within the host cell. Mitochondria and chloroplasts cannot grow outside their host cell.
Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain:
Mitochondria is the universal Power House of the cell and harbours enzymes of both
Krebs cycle and multiprotein electron transport complexes that couple ATP synthesis to
the flow of electrons through them (oxidative phosphorylation) to oxygen.
• Complex-I:
The type-I NADH dehydrogenase complex (complex I / NADH-coenzyme Q reductase
complex / NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase.) is structurally the most complex of the
mitochondrial electron transport complexes. Current estimates indicate that it has at
least 40 subunits.
Electron transport through complex-I (below) is reversible but it primarily oxidises
NADH generated in the mitochondrial matrix. The transfer of two electrons from NADH
to CoQ results in pumping of four protons from mitochondrial matrix to the
intermembrane space (vectorial transport; in one direction).

• Complex-II:
Complex II (succinic dehydrogenase complex; succinate: ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is
a component of both ETC and Krebs cycle.

• Complex-III:
Electron transfer through complexes I and II reduces ubiquinone to ubiquinol which in
turn is reoxidised by cyt-b/c1 complex(complex III; CoQH2: cytochrome-c
oxidoreductase).
Complex III transfers electrons to cytochrome c (cyt-c), a mobile electron carrier
bound to the outer surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane. It links complex III
and IV by transferring electrons from complex III to molecular oxygen.
• Complex-IV:
The charge difference between reduced cytochrome-c (positive) and inner
mitochondrial membrane (negative) facilitates the diffusion of cyt-c along the
membrane to cyt-a /a3 complex (complex IV; cytochrome c oxidase, COX). It is
the last complex of the respiratory chain. The multimeric complex has two heme
centres (cyt-a; cyt- a3) and two metal centres (CuA and CuB). The conserved
catalytic core has three subunits (COX 1to 3) which is mitochondrial coded in almost
all eukaryotes and many additional subunits (10-14).The complex has a large
hydrophilic region protruding into the intermembrane space, providing binding site for
cytochrome-c.

Centrosome and
its organization:
• Centrosome:
1.Discovered by:
Edouard Van Beneden
2.Name given by:
Theodor Boveri
3.Position: Near the
nucleus
• Found in animal
cell.
• Absent in higher
class plans.
• Present in lower
plants like algae, funji,
bryophytes.
• Centrosome
consists of two
centrioles, situated at right angles(90°) to each other and surrounded by clear
cytoplasm called “Centrosphere”.
• Centrosome (pair of centrioles)is also known as “Diplosome”.
• Centrioles are membraneless.
• Centrosomes are cylindrical structures.
Centriole:
• Structure: They are present in
the matrix.
1. 9+0 arrangement of
microtubules.
2. 9 microtubules are present at
the periphery in a triplet
fashion.
3. Microtubules are made up of
tubulin protein.
4. Each microtubule consists of 3
sub fibrils or tubules (triplet). Or,
“Cart Wheel Structure”
Key components labeled in the diagram include:
a. C-A Connective: Links adjacent triplet microtubules.
b. Triplet fibril: The nine sets of microtubule triplets forming the centriole’s structure.
c. Central rod (Hub): The central protein structure of the centriole.
d. 9 Spokes: Protein structures radiating from the central hub.
e. Cart-wheel structure: The characteristic arrangement of the spokes and central hub.
f. Massule or pericentriolar satellite: Structures surrounding the centriole involved in
microtubule organization.

• From outside to inside the three sub-fibres of a triplet fibril are named as C, B and A
Subfibre. A is complete with 13 protofilaments while B and C subfibres are
incomplete due to sharing of some microfilaments.
• The adjacent triplet fibrils are connected by C—A proteinaceous linkers.
• The centre of the centriole possesses a rod-shaped proteinaceous mass known as a
hub.
• From the hub, develops 9 proteinaceous strands towards the peripheral triplet
fibrils. They are called spokes. Each spoke has a thickening called X before uniting
with A sub-fibre.
• Another thickening known as Y is present nearby and is attached both to X
thickening as well as C—A linkers by connectives.

The function of the centrioles:


1. The centriole acts as MTOC (microtubule-organizing center) that arranges the
microtubules array based on its ability to anchor, release, or nucleate microtubules.
2. Centrioles can be transformed into basal bodies.
3. Basal bodies formed from centrioles gives rise to cilia and flagella.

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