mitochondrion
UK /ˌmaɪtəˈkɒndɹiən/ · US /ˌmaɪtəˈkɑndɹiən/ noun
Forms mitochondria mitochondrions
- noun (cytology) A spherical or ovoid organelle found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells and containing genetic material separate from that of the host; it is responsible for the conversion of food to usable energy in the form of ATP.
Synonyms
Etymology
From German Mitochondrium, coined by Carl Benda in 1898, from Ancient Greek μίτος (mítos, “thread”) + χονδρίον (khondríon), diminutive of χόνδρος (khóndros, “grain, morsel”).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “mitochondrion”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details