One mitochondrion contains tens of thousands of copies of…
““One mitochondrion contains tens of thousands of copies of each respiratory complex. A single cell contains hundreds or thousands of mitochondria. Your 40 trillion cells contain at least a quadrillion mitochondria, with a combined convoluted surface area of about 14,000 square metres; about four football fields. Their job is to pump protons, and together they pump more than 1021 of them – nearly as many as there are stars in the known universe – every second.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Mitochondria are abundant cellular power plants, collectively covering a massive area and moving an astronomical number of protons each second.
In simple terms: Mitochondria are tiny power plants that work together.
Key Takeaway
Appreciate cellular energy scale.
Themes
biology
energy
cellular function
Mood
awe
curiosity
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- medical research
- education
- energy policy
- environmental impact
Key Concepts
bioenergetics
scale
systems biology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this scale affect our view of life?
- What implications does this have for disease?
A Different Perspective
Mitochondria numbers are estimates, not exact counts.