Question

Which of the following statements about mitochondria is true?

a) Mitochondria are the site of protein synthesis and produce all of the cell's proteins.
b) Mitochondria have no membrane and float freely in the cytoplasm.
c) Mitochondria have 2 membranes. The inner membrane is folded, creating cristae.
d) Mitochondria use the energy from ATP to produce glucose sugar molecules.

Answer 1

The true statement about mitochondria is that they have two membranes with the inner membrane being folded into cristae. Mitochondria are the cellular sites for ATP production through the process of cellular respiration, and their structure is adapted for efficient energy conversion.

Step-by-step explanation:

(c) Mitochondria have 2 membranes. The inner membrane is folded, creating cristae.

Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses or energy factories of a cell, responsible for producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the cell's main energy-carrying molecule. The process of converting glucose into ATP is known as cellular respiration. Mitochondria are unique in their structure; they are oval-shaped and possess two membranes, each one a phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins. The outer membrane is smooth and separates the organelle from the cytosol, whereas the inner membrane contains folds called cristae.

These folds significantly increase the surface area for ATP synthesis, which occurs on this inner membrane. The space between the two membranes is the intermembrane space, and inside the inner membrane is the mitochondrial matrix, which contains mitochondrial DNA, ribosomes, and metabolic enzymes crucial for cellular respiration.