Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Mitochondria and Chloroplast a detailed comparison between the functions and purposes of the mitochondria and chloroplast.

Satisfactory Essays
630 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mitochondria and Chloroplast a detailed comparison between the functions and purposes of the mitochondria and chloroplast.
When comparing and contrasting the mitochondria and chloroplast, a person learns all of the similarities and differences between the two. In this essay, you will read about the mitochondria, the chloroplast, and their biochemical reactions.

The mitochondria often referred to as the powerhouse cell is found in the eukaruotic cells. There, those cells are often found in groups of hundreds. Mitochondria cells can be anywhere from 1 to 10 um long in length, but are able to change shapes, move, and divide into two. The cell itself is enclosed in an envelope of two membranes. The outer membrane is smooth while the other is convoluted with unfoldings called cristae. The mitochondrion becomes even more complex when divided into its two internal compartments, the intermembrane space and the mitochondrial matrix.

In the mitochondria, the biochemical reaction, respiration takes place. The balanced formula for respiration is C6H12O6 + 6 H2O à 6 H2O + 6 O2 + E, the catalyst being enzymes. Respiration is when oxygen is consumed as a reactant along with the organic fuel. In order for the process take place, food must be available, along with oxygen. The first two stages occur due to glycolysis and the Kreb's Cycle. These processes decompose glucose and other organic fuels. Glycolysis, which occurs in the cytosol, begins breaking down glucose into two molecules of a compound called pyruvate. The Kreb's Cycle finishes what has been started by decomposing of what is left of the pyruvate into carbon dioxide. The third stage involves the electron transport chain. The chain takes electrons from the breakdown products from the previous stages, and in the end, water is created. During respiration, if oxygen is present, the pyruvic acid will be sent for conversion in the mitochondrion, which produces ATP molecules.

Chloroplast both alike and dislike the mitochondria is a specialized member of a closely related plant organelle called plastids. Chloroplasts contain the green pigment chlorophyll along with enzymes and other molecules that function in photosynthetic production of food. Structurally this cell is lens shaped and measures about 2 um by 5 um. Chloroplasts are found in leaves and green organs of plants and eukayotic algae. These cells too are enclosed in two membranes. As with the mitochondria, the static and rigid appearance of chloroplast in electron micrographs is not true.

In the chloroplast, photosynthesis takes place. The formula for this process is just the opposite to respiration, being that in photosynthesis, energy is gained, not released, 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + E à C6H12O6 + 6 O2, with the catalyst being enzymes. Photosynthesis can only affect plants, being that chloroplast exists in them and not in animals or humans. According to the formula, plants must have carbon dioxide, water, and energy from the sun in order to produce glucose and the air we breathe, oxygen. There are two stages when executing photosynthesis, light reactions and the Calvin Cycle. The light reactions are the steps of photosynthesis that convert solar energy to chemical energy. Oxygen atoms from water molecules are a source of the oxygen that we breathe in the atmosphere. The carbons from the carbon dioxide that we exhale, and the hydrogen from water molecules, are the sources for these atoms to build carbohydrates. The sun breaks down water molecules to help make carbohydrates and oxygen, this process is called photolysis. The next sequence of chemical reactions is commonly referred to as the dark reaction. This reaction unlike the light reaction does not need light. The carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms then leave the thylakoids and move into the stroma where they form carbohydrates. The carbon dioxide molecule then becomes unstable and the splits. The ending molecule, PGLA, is used to form the end products of photosynthesis.

So in conclusion, you can see that the mitochondria and chloroplast are very complex and contain many different elements.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mito Case Study

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Answer: The evidence that supports this is because mitochondrion and chloroplast both have a “brother” cell; the cells are extremely alike. The “brother” cell is a prokaryotic cell.…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    BIO 104 Chapter 3

    • 7229 Words
    • 29 Pages

    Mitochondria carry out critical steps in the extraction of energy from food, and the conversion of that “trapped” energy to a useful form. They are the cell’s “power plants.” Chloroplasts are organelles found in algae and in the green parts of plants. Chloroplasts have two membranes surrounding them, as well as an internal system of stacked membrane discs.…

    • 7229 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    This document of BIO 100 Assignment Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration includes answers to the next questions: Complete the matrix. Use the following questions to aid in completion:…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell it provides energy to the cell through respiration.The food that we eat is broken into simpler molecules like carbohydrates, fats and etc in our bodies. These are sent to the mitochondrion where they are further precessed to produce charged molecules that combine with oxygen and produce Adenosine TriPhosphate (ATP) molecules. This entire process is known as oxidative phosphorylation.Mitochondria also helps in the building of certain parts of the blood, and hormones like testosterone and estrogen.…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    AP Bio photosynthesis

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages

    ● Chloroplasts have an outer and inner membrane. There is intermembrane space and thylakoid space. There is stroma and grana and thylakoid. Chloroplasts are found in mesophyll cells.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The mitochondria is the site of ATP production for the cell. ATP is the energy currency of the cell. Mitochondria are nicknamed, the "powerhouse".…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Photosystem I is referred to by the wavelength at which its reaction center best absorbs light, or…

    • 2225 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Unit two Biology

    • 7492 Words
    • 30 Pages

    The space between the two mitochondrial membranes usually has a lower pH than the matrix of the mitochondrion as a result of the H+ that are transported into the intermembrane space by the activity of the electron transport chain. They are contained there until they are allowed out during ATP synthesis. These cristae give the inner membrane a large total surface area, so it can hold many molecules of the electron transport chain and ATPase. The more membrane there is, the more ATP and reduced NAD can be produced. Cristae in mitochondria from different types of cells show considerable variation in appearance, but, Figure 2.12 TEM of a mitochondrion inside a pancreatic cell, where much ATP is required for the synthesis of enzymes.…

    • 7492 Words
    • 30 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cell Work Sheet

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The proteins and other molecules that make up electron transport chains are embedded within the inner membrane of the mitochondria.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Science Revision

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Chloroplasts: green, makes oxygen from carbon dioxide. Where photosynthesis takes place, stores the chlorophyll. (Only in plant cells)…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    biology cape

    • 3315 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Mitochondrion (pl. Mitochondria). This is a sausage-shaped organelle (8µm long), and is where aerobic respiration takes place in all eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria are surrounded by a double membrane: the outer membrane is simple, while the inner membrane is highly folded into cristae, which give it a large surface area. The space enclosed by the inner membrane is called the matrix, and contains small circular strands of DNA. The inner membrane is studded with stalked particles, which are the site of ATP synthesis.…

    • 3315 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mitochondria carry out respiration in the cells. This is why muscles have so many mitochondria as they need more energy in order to function.…

    • 4403 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cellular respiration is an ATP-producing catabolic process in which the electron receiver is an inorganic molecule. It is the release of energy from organic compounds by chemical oxidation in the mitochondria within each cell. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats can all be metabolized, but cellular respiration usually involves glucose: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 686 Kcal of energy/mole of glucose oxidized. Cellular respiration involves glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain. Glycolysis is a catabolic pathway that occurs in the cytosol and partially oxidizes glucose into two pyruvate (3-C). The Krebs cycle occurs in the mitochondria and breaks down a pyruvate (Acetyl-CoA) into carbon dioxide. These two cycles both produce a small amount of ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation and NADH by transferring electrons from substrate to NAD+. The Krebs cycle also produces FADH2 by transferring electrons to FAD. The electron transport chain is located at the inner membrane of the mitochondria and accepts energized electrons from enzymes that are collected during glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, and…

    • 1687 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One uses carbon dioxide and combines it with water and makes energy from the sun. The other will use glucose and oxygen and make energy into ATP with carbon dioxide and water which turns into a waste. Both are involved in making energy and exchange of gases. Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplast, whereas breathing takes place in mitochondria.…

    • 137 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays