The Mighty Mitochondria

The Mighty Mitochondria

Sapped? Feeling sluggish?

Maybe it’s your mitochondria.

These fascinating miniscule organelles function inside your cells, and produce energy through the formation of ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate).

Over one billion years ago, mitochondria existed as their own free-living organism, and did just fine.

Somewhere along the way, they were engulfed by another independent microscopic organism, a prokaryotic cell – devoid of a distinct nucleus and other unclad organelles, and they shared a flourishing mutual compatibility.

The prokaryotic union was later consumed by an early form of a membrane bound nucleus eukaryotic bacteria with both accommodations once again enthusiastically abiding by their prosperous cohabitation.

This synergistic arrangement worked well for the coupled mitochondria and the host cell with the new tenant supplying tons of energy for the cell in a trade off as a symbiotic haven for the other.

The rest is history.

The mitochondria have retained many of the features of their formally single self-sufficient lifestyle, and still reproduce of their own accord by a type of binary fusion within the cell even though this is usually inherently the responsibility of the cell’s nucleus.

Their ability to gauge whether a cell requires more energy, and thus more mitochondria, is what signals reproduction.

All eukaryotic cells have mitochondria, and depending on its energy consumption could be anywhere from one to many thousands per cell.

The hard-working heart has five thousand respiring for it with its non-stop life sustaining action.

Each brain cell has a million of these industrious organelles to ensure it has enough energy for all its essential tasks and activities.

Interestingly, mitochondria have a different DNA than yours.

We first learned that our gut microbiome possesses their own non-human genes, and now heterogenous relics also reside within our own cells.

Even more sublime, only the mother’s mitochondrial DNA is passed to the baby.

The laborious DNA generate our body’s weight in ATP each day.

Be thankful for the complex, miraculous, and well-choreographed beauty of life that is always progressing and transforming with master-minded efficacy for everyone’s highest good. What more could one ask for?

~”And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose,” Romans 8:28. ~

HEaling Link® will meet Tuesday, August 16, 2022 @ 7:30pm via Zoom. For more information, please contact Jackie: HEalingLink03@gmail.com Isn’t it time to get Linked?