4 ms·

It's the powerhouse of the cell! ... whatever that means

MarcoZavala 4y ago
tejtm 4y ago
getting closer to "whatever that means" without being technically correct is: DNA in cells encode proteins that are used to construct things. this happens in centralized locations involving ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, blah blah lots of steps and you have a specific protein that may need to be used somewhere else. The cell is built with strings like cables or chains (actin filament), each with the same repeating pattern of molecules. These get used like roads or tracks to move stuff (specific proteins) from one end of a track to the other. But the both track the thing that needs to be moved just float in the cytoplasm and so we make these bizarre stick animal looking molecules (ATP) that literally walk along these roads and can carry a protein with them (way faster and more targeted than just floating). nothing like deliberately climbing a rope with a load is free even if you are a just handful of atoms, there is an physical exchange (atom rearrangement) that changes each step the energy to effect the rearrangement that causes the "step" is taken from breaking up a sugar molecule. You do this allot. where that means you go through your own mass of these little beasts of burden ever day; where these little critters are produced is a "mitochondria" organelle. So mitochondria produce little beasts of burden that can atomically walk along actin filaments while carrying more than just themselves. This can be used move stuff out by transporting it to the cell membrane, or bring things in, house-keeping tasks. But! you can also rig the actin (& myosin) up to pull one side of a cell against the other side of the cell and change the cells shape alot. (or quickly release a pulled cell) This is how muscle work which is likely approaching the "powerhouse" concept without the mitochondria organelle (former parasite/symbiot now integrated) we would not have the genes to produce these wonderful little atomic constructs that can walk wherever we put path with a particular pattern on it all while carrying a comparatively heavy load. I recall, but can not now find, an in-vivo video of this and being shocked at how fast they walk relative to their size. maybe someone with fresher brain cells can help.
- x-shadowban 4y ago
  What happens if you push one off its path? Does it try to get back? Or just get eaten by some kind of langolier style phagocyte?
  - tibbydudeza 4y ago
    Afaik it's little "feet" can only stick to the path.
- tibbydudeza 4y ago
  You referring to the motor proteins Kinesin and dynein that uses ATP ???. They are like little stick men pulling stuff along the highways of the cell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uuk4Pr2i8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uuk4Pr2i8
  - tejtm 4y ago
    great animation, more clear that what I was recalling, which was more like direct live imaging so, grainy blobs moving around.
- SemanticStrengh 4y ago
  Is mitochondria DNA processed the same way as nucleic DNA ? Are mitochondria DNA proteins assembled in the mitochondria? Also could you explain the steps in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmGk8Qk638 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmGk8Qk638 ?
j4yav 4y ago
It is a layman’s expression that means the mitochondria produces ATP: https://biologydictionary.net/atp/ https://biologydictionary.net/atp/

getting closer to "whatever that means" without being technically correct is: DNA in cells encode proteins that are used to construct things. this happens in centralized locations involving ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, blah blah lots of steps and you have a specific protein that may need to be used somewhere else. The cell is built with strings like cables or chains (actin filament), each with the same repeating pattern of molecules. These get used like roads or tracks to move stuff (specific proteins) from one end of a track to the other. But the both track the thing that needs to be moved just float in the cytoplasm and so we make these bizarre stick animal looking molecules (ATP) that literally walk along these roads and can carry a protein with them (way faster and more targeted than just floating). nothing like deliberately climbing a rope with a load is free even if you are a just handful of atoms, there is an physical exchange (atom rearrangement) that changes each step the energy to effect the rearrangement that causes the "step" is taken from breaking up a sugar molecule. You do this allot. where that means you go through your own mass of these little beasts of burden ever day; where these little critters are produced is a "mitochondria" organelle. So mitochondria produce little beasts of burden that can atomically walk along actin filaments while carrying more than just themselves. This can be used move stuff out by transporting it to the cell membrane, or bring things in, house-keeping tasks. But! you can also rig the actin (& myosin) up to pull one side of a cell against the other side of the cell and change the cells shape alot. (or quickly release a pulled cell) This is how muscle work which is likely approaching the "powerhouse" concept without the mitochondria organelle (former parasite/symbiot now integrated) we would not have the genes to produce these wonderful little atomic constructs that can walk wherever we put path with a particular pattern on it all while carrying a comparatively heavy load. I recall, but can not now find, an in-vivo video of this and being shocked at how fast they walk relative to their size. maybe someone with fresher brain cells can help.

x-shadowban 4y ago
What happens if you push one off its path? Does it try to get back? Or just get eaten by some kind of langolier style phagocyte?
- tibbydudeza 4y ago
  Afaik it's little "feet" can only stick to the path.
tibbydudeza 4y ago
You referring to the motor proteins Kinesin and dynein that uses ATP ???. They are like little stick men pulling stuff along the highways of the cell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uuk4Pr2i8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uuk4Pr2i8
- tejtm 4y ago
  great animation, more clear that what I was recalling, which was more like direct live imaging so, grainy blobs moving around.
SemanticStrengh 4y ago
Is mitochondria DNA processed the same way as nucleic DNA ? Are mitochondria DNA proteins assembled in the mitochondria? Also could you explain the steps in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmGk8Qk638 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVmGk8Qk638 ?

j4yav 4y ago

It is a layman’s expression that means the mitochondria produces ATP: https://biologydictionary.net/atp/ https://biologydictionary.net/atp/