Iyini i-mitochondrion?
I-mitochondrion i-organelle etholakala kumaseli amaningi e-eukaryotes, njengezilwane, izitshalo kanye nesikhunta. Ama-mitochondria anesakhiwo se-membrane ephindwe kabili futhi asebenzisa ukuphefumula kwe-aerobic ukukhiqiza i-adenosine triphosphate (ATP), esetshenziswa kuyo yonke ingqamuzana njengomthombo wamandla amakhemikhali. Awatholakala ngu - Albert von Kölliker ngo - 1857 emisipheni yezinambuzane. Igama elithi mitochondrion laqanjwa nguCarl Benda ngo-1898. I-mitochondrion ibizwa ngokuthi "igumbi elinamandla lengqamuzana", inkulumo eyaqanjwa nguPhilip Siekevitz esihlokweni sika-1957 esinegama elifanayo.  Amanye amangqamuzana ezinto eziphilayo ezinamangqamuzana amaningi awanawo ama-mitochondria (ngokwesibonelo, amangqamuzana abomvu egazi ezilwane ezincelisayo avuthiwe). Inani elikhulu lezinto eziphilayo ezineseli elilodwa, njengama-microsporidia, ama-parabasalids nama-diplomonads, liye lanciphisa noma laguqula i-mitochondria yalo laba ezinye izakhiwo. I-eukaryote eyodwa, i-Monocercomonoides, yaziwa ukuthi ilahlekelwe ngokuphelele ama-mitochondria ayo, kanti i-multicellular organism eyodwa, i-Henneguya salminicola, yaziwa ukuthi yagcina ama-organelles ahlobene ne-mitochondrion ngokuhambisana nokulahleka okuphelele kwe-genome yabo ye-mitochondrial.  Ngokuvamile ama-mitochondria aphakathi kuka-0.75 no-3 μm2 esigabeni, kodwa ayahluka kakhulu ngobukhulu nangokwakheka. Ngaphandle uma zinamabala athile, azibonakali. Ngaphezu kokunikeza amandla amangqamuzana, i-mitochondria ihilelekile kweminye imisebenzi, njengokuthumela imiyalezo, ukuhlukaniswa kwamangqamuzana nokufa kwamangqamuzana, kanye nokugcina ukulawula umjikelezo wamangqamuzana nokukhula kwamangqamuzana. I-mitochondrial biogenesis yona ihambisana nalezi zinqubo zamangqamuzana. I-mitochondria iye yabandakanyeka ekuphazamisekeni nasezimweni eziningana zabantu, njengezifo ze-mitochondrial, ukungasebenzi kahle kwenhliziyo, ukwehluleka kwenhliziyo kanye ne-autism.  Inani lama-mitochondria esitokisini lingahluka kakhulu ngokusho kwezinto eziphilayo, izicubu, nohlobo lweseli. Ingqamuzana elibomvu legazi elivuthiwe alinawo ama-mitochondria, kanti amangqamuzana esibindi angaba ngaphezu kuka-2.000. I-mitochondrion yakhiwa izingxenye ezenza imisebenzi ekhethekile. Lezi zingxenye noma izifunda zihlanganisa ulwelwesi lwangaphandle, isikhala esiphakathi kolwelwesi, ulwelwesi lwangaphakathi, ama-cristae, ne-matrix.  Nakuba ingxenye enkulu ye-DNA yeseli le-eukaryotic iqukethwe kuyi-nucleus yeseli, i-mitochondrion ine-genome yayo ("mitogenome") efana kakhulu ne-genome yamagciwane. Lokhu okutholakele kuye kwaholela ekwamukelweni okuvamile komqondo we-endosymbiotic - wokuthi okhokho be-prokaryotic abaphila mahhala be-mitochondria yanamuhla bahlanganiswa unomphela namaseli e-eukaryotic esikhathini esidlule esikude, bavela ngendlela yokuthi izilwane zanamuhla, izitshalo, isikhunta, nezinye i-eukaryotes ziyakwazi ukuphefumula ukuze zikhiqize amandla amaseli.