English Explanatory Dictionary

mitochondrion

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A spherical or ovoid organelle found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells and containing genetic material separate from that of the host; it is responsible for the conversion of food to usable energy in the form of ATP.

Pronunciation

/ˌmaɪtəˈkɒndɹiən/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mitochondrion.wav /ˌmaɪtəˈkɑndɹiən/

Word forms

mitochondrion mitochondria mitochondrions

Etymology

From German Mitochondrium, coined by Carl Benda in 1898, from Ancient Greek μίτος (mítos, “thread”) + χονδρίον (khondríon), diminutive of χόνδρος (khóndros, “grain, morsel”).

Related words

chondrio- amyloplast chloroplast chromoplast elaioplast etioplast leucoplast proplastid proteinoplast tannosome

Derived words

megamitochondrion mitochondrial mitochondriate mitochondriogenesis mitochondriogenic mitochondrional mitochondriopathy mitochondriotropic mitogenome mitogenomic mitogenomics mitosome mitotracker promitochondrion protomitochondrion
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