Animal Cell Research Paper

The human eye can see objects as small as one tenth of a millimeter, which is smaller than a grain of salt. An animal cell is not visible to the naked eye and is about 10 to 30 micrometers. A micrometer is one one-thousandth of a millimeter. They are so small that it takes a microscope with a magnification of at least 400x to be able to see inside the cell. These cells are what make up the basic units of structure and function in all living things. They carry out our life processes and make it possible for us to function and live. Inside these cells are organelles, which are smaller than the cell itself. However, without these organelles, the cell would not be able to function and we would die. Of these many organelles are the mitochondria, …show more content…
The mitochondrion has a double membrane, an outer membrane and an inner membrane. The inner membrane consists of many different folds that from cristae which provide a larger surface area where reactions can occur inside the mitochondrion. The greater the surface area inside the mitochondrion is, the more room you have for the chemical reactions to take place. This allows more materials to be broken down faster and in turn, provides more energy for the cell. The outer membrane protects the mitochondrion and covers it completely. The fluid inside the mitochondrion is called the matrix. Mitochondria have their own ribosomes and DNA. The DNA held inside the mitochondria is different than the one held in the nucleus. DNA in mitochondria is called mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA consists of 37 genes. All of these genes are important to the mitochondria and help it function normally. The first 13 of the genes are instructions to making enzymes and the rest provide instructions in making tRNA molecules. This all is all held in the matrix of the mitochondrion. Mitochondrial DNA is also inherited only from the mother. Because of this, mitochondrial DNA plays a big role in anthropology and evolutionary biology because it is easier to trace back to help find your family lineage and because it evolves slower than regular …show more content…
Inside the body they preform cellular respiration, they take in nutrients from the cell, break it down, and turn it into energy. This energy is then used by the cell to carry out various life processes. Without this energy, none of the organelles within the cell would be able to function, not even the nucleus. They all use the energy from the mitochondria to preform their functions. With no energy the nucleus wouldn’t have enough energy to direct and control the cell, the ribosomes wouldn’t be able to make proteins, if no proteins are being made, the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi bodies would have no proteins to transport throughout the cell. The cells that make up the tissue would die, if the tissues died the organ would fail, if one organ fails it leads the whole organ system to die, and eventually the organism its self. Outside the body mitochondria, because of their DNA that comes only from the mothers, help trace family lineage and is still being studied and evaluated but may one day help prove the theory of evolution and help us find out where we come from.. Every organelle must do its part it keeping the cell alive and functioning, some organelles like the mitochondria are very important. In fact with all the reasons and functions I just listed, I believe they are the most important, more important than any other organelle you will