--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mitochondria comprise a very large…" description: "\"My mitochondria comprise a very large proportion of me. I cannot do the calculation, but I suppose there is almost as much of them in sheer dry bulk as..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/lewis-thomas-2299_bacteria_my-mitochondria-comprise-a-very-large-pr_1656260.jpg" --- # My mitochondria comprise a very large proportion of me. I… ![“My mitochondria comprise a very large proportion of me. I cannot do the calculation, but I suppose there is almost as much of them in sheer dry bulk as there is the rest of me. Looked at in this way, I could be taken for a very large, motile colony of respiring bacteria, operating a complex system…” quote by Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/lewis-thomas-2299_bacteria_my-mitochondria-comprise-a-very-large-pr_1656260.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/lewis-thomas-2299_bacteria_my-mitochondria-comprise-a-very-large-pr_1656260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c1/lewis-thomas-2299_bacteria_my-mitochondria-comprise-a-very-large-pr_1656260.jpg) > “My mitochondria comprise a very large proportion of me. I cannot do the calculation, but I suppose there is almost as much of them in sheer dry bulk as there is the rest of me. Looked at in this way, I could be taken for a very large, motile colony of respiring bacteria, operating a complex system of nuclei, microtubules, and neurons for the pleasure and sustenance of their families, and running, at the moment, a typewriter.” [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how the human body is a massive community of mitochondria, likening it to a colony of bacteria that collectively power our functions. **In simple terms:** Our cells are mostly mitochondria, acting like tiny power plants. Key Takeaway Recognize the collective power of tiny components. Themes biology interconnectedness scale cellular life Mood wonder awe reflective Type scientific metaphorical When to use this quote - medical research - education - personal health - environmental biology Key Concepts bioenergetics emergent systems symbiosis Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing the body as a community change your health habits? - What other tiny components drive large-scale processes? A Different Perspective Mitochondria are just one part of a larger system; focusing solely on them can overlook other crucial elements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bacteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bacteria/) [Colony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colony/) [Complex systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-systems/) [Dry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dry/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Large Motile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-motile-708148/) [Large Proportion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-proportion-708149/) [Mitochondria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mitochondria/) [Mitochondria Comprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mitochondria-comprise-708147/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Neurons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurons/) [Nucleus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nucleus/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Proportion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proportion/) [Respiring Bacteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respiring-bacteria-708150/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Typewriters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/typewriters/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I have not only Arms but a large proportion of Armourers to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-whitney/i-have-not-only-arms-but-a-large-proportion-of-armourers-to-make/) [Eli Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-whitney/) > [We are not made up, as we had always supposed, of successively enriched packets of our own parts. We are shared, rented, occupied. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-not-made-up-as-we-had-always-supposed-of-successively-enriched/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“Cooks were the mitochondria of humanity; they had their own separate DNA, they floated in a cell and powered it but were not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/cooks-were-the-mitochondria-of-humanity-they-had-their-own-separate/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“Mitochondria, as we have seen, are only passed on in the egg, so all 13 mitochondrial genes come from our mothers. If these genes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/mitochondria-as-we-have-seen-are-only-passed-on-in-the-egg-so-all-13/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“Mitochondria are strange organelles in the sense that they have their own DNA and ribosomes.Therefore, mitochondria are able to make some of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mitochondria-are-strange-organelles-in-the-sense-that-they-have-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the normal process of producing energy, each mitochondrion produces hundreds if not thousands of free radical molecules each day. Multiply that by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/in-the-normal-process-of-producing-energy-each-mitochondrion-produces/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [Over the long term, symbiosis is more useful than parasitism. More fun, too. Ask any mitochondria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/over-the-long-term-symbiosis-is-more-useful-than-parasitism-more-fun/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [“Metabolically active cells, such as those of the liver, kidneys, muscles, and brain, have hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, making up some 40 per…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/metabolically-active-cells-such-as-those-of-the-liver-kidneys-muscles/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“One mitochondrion contains tens of thousands of copies of each respiratory complex. A single cell contains hundreds or thousands of mitochondria. Your 40 trillion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/one-mitochondrion-contains-tens-of-thousands-of-copies-of-each/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“I try to think up material that might apply to the subjects they are studying. How many mitochondria does it take to power a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/i-try-to-think-up-material-that-might-apply-to-the-subjects-they-are/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [“Were it not for the melanin in our skin, myoglobin in our muscles and haemoglobin in our blood, we would be the colour of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-brown/were-it-not-for-the-melanin-in-our-skin-myoglobin-in-our-muscles-and/) [Guy Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-brown/) > [“Rather surprisingly, to anyone who is most familiar with textbook mitochondria, many simple single-celled eukaryotes have mitochondria that operate in the absence of oxygen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/rather-surprisingly-to-anyone-who-is-most-familiar-with-textbook/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [We don't live in a capitalist totality. Capitalism couldn't survive as a totality anyway. We live in this complex system and we already live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/we-don-t-live-in-a-capitalist-totality-capitalism-couldn-t-survive-as/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [When discussing complex systems like brains and other societies, it is easy to oversimplify: I call this Occam's lobotomy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-j-good/when-discussing-complex-systems-like-brains-and-other-societies-it-is/) [I. J. Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-j-good/) > [The only way to know how a complex system will behave-after you modify it-is to modify it and see how it behaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-e-p-box/the-only-way-to-know-how-a-complex-system-will-behave-after-you/) [George E. P. Box](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-e-p-box/) ## More by Lewis Thomas > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [We are a spectacular, splendid manifestation of life. We have language. . . . We have affection. We have genes for usefulness, and usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-a-spectacular-splendid-manifestation-of-life-we-have-language/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“It is not a simple thing to decide where we fit, for at one time or another in our lives we manage to organize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/it-is-not-a-simple-thing-to-decide-where-we-fit-for-at-one-time-or/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [It is in our genes to understand the universe if we can, to keep trying even if we cannot, and to be enchanted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/it-is-in-our-genes-to-understand-the-universe-if-we-can-to-keep/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [If an idea cannot move on its own, pushing it doesn't help; best to let it lie there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/if-an-idea-cannot-move-on-its-own-pushing-it-doesn-t-help-best-to-let/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Left to ourselves, mechanistic and autonomic, we hanker for friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/left-to-ourselves-mechanistic-and-autonomic-we-hanker-for-friends/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [I do not agree with this century's fashion of running down the human species as a failed try, a doomed sport. At our worst,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/i-do-not-agree-with-this-century-s-fashion-of-running-down-the-human/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [It would seem to me... an offense against nature, for us to come on the same scene endowed as we are with the curiosity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/it-would-seem-to-me-an-offense-against-nature-for-us-to-come-on-the/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The drive to be useful is encoded in our genes. But when we gather in very large numbers, as in the modern nation-state, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-drive-to-be-useful-is-encoded-in-our-genes-but-when-we-gather-in/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [I would send the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach into outer space on the Voyager spacecraft. But that would be boasting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/i-would-send-the-complete-works-of-johann-sebastian-bach-into-outer/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“Nature abhors a long silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/nature-abhors-a-long-silence/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“The future is too interesting and dangerous to be entrusted to any predictable, reliable agency. We need all the fallibility we can get. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-future-is-too-interesting-and-dangerous-to-be-entrusted-to-any/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [We pass the word around; we ponder how the case is put by different people, we read the poetry; we meditate over the literature;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-pass-the-word-around-we-ponder-how-the-case-is-put-by-different/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“The uniformity of the earth's life, more astonishing than its diversity, is accountable by the high probability that we derived, originally, from some single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-uniformity-of-the-earth-s-life-more-astonishing-than-its/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Having long suspected that there was something alive in there, running the place, separate from everything else, absolutely individual and independent, we've celebrated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/having-long-suspected-that-there-was-something-alive-in-there-running/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) [Explore all 173 Lewis Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) ## More Bacteria quotes > [“Bacteria and viruses were the most effective allies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-hughes-galeano/bacteria-and-viruses-were-the-most-effective-allies/) [Eduardo Hughes Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-hughes-galeano/) > [...The large majority of those infectious microbes that cause us so much illness and pain are ANAEROBIC...a big word that means they live and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-mccabe/the-large-majority-of-those-infectious-microbes-that-cause-us-so-much/) [Ed McCabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-mccabe/) > [You can't just boss bacteria around like that," said the younger Mrs. Hempstock. "They don't like it." "Stuff and silliness," said the old lady.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-t-just-boss-bacteria-around-like-that-said-the-younger-mrs/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are more microbes per person than the entire population of the world. Imagine that. Per person. This means that if the time scale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/there-are-more-microbes-per-person-than-the-entire-population-of-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [“Drinking lots of alcohol makes the gut leakier, allowing microbes to more readily influence the brain. Could that help to explain why alcoholics often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-yong/drinking-lots-of-alcohol-makes-the-gut-leakier-allowing-microbes-to/) [Ed Yong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-yong/) > [“According to pioneering microbiologist Lynn Margulis, "fully 10 percent of our own dry body weight consists of bacteria, some of which, although they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-bjornerud/according-to-pioneering-microbiologist-lynn-margulis-fully-10-percent/) [Marcia Bjornerud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-bjornerud/) > [Plants with leaves no more efficient than today's solar cells could out-compete real plants, crowding the biosphere with an inedible foliage. Tough omnivorous bacteria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-eric-drexler/plants-with-leaves-no-more-efficient-than-today-s-solar-cells-could/) [K. Eric Drexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-eric-drexler/) > [Nineteen hundred and three will bring great advances in surgery, in the study of bacteria, in the knowledge of the cause and prevention of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/nineteen-hundred-and-three-will-bring-great-advances-in-surgery-in/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Most people are surprised when they hear my somber figures: we know of 2 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms, and we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/most-people-are-surprised-when-they-hear-my-somber-figures-we-know-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Harmful bacteria, viruses, calcium-forming micro-organisms, and candida are part of our world. Unfortunately, so are toxic chemicals, including everything from pesticides to car pollution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wolfe/harmful-bacteria-viruses-calcium-forming-micro-organisms-and-candida/) [David Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wolfe/) > [With one linear centimeter of your lower colon there lives and works more bacteria (about 100 billion) that all humans who have ever been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/with-one-linear-centimeter-of-your-lower-colon-there-lives-and-works/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Eighty-five percent of recorded species live in the terrestrial realm, and the majority of these, some 850,000, are arthropods (that is, insects, spiders, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-leakey/eighty-five-percent-of-recorded-species-live-in-the-terrestrial-realm/) [Richard E. Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-leakey/) > [As far as I am concerned, LGBT can only stand for leprosy, gonorrhea, bacteria, and tuberculosis, all of which are detrimental to human existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yahya-jammeh/as-far-as-i-am-concerned-lgbt-can-only-stand-for-leprosy-gonorrhea/) [Yahya Jammeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yahya-jammeh/) > [There are about 250,000 different species of fossil plants and animals known . . In spite of this large quantity of information, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-m-raup/there-are-about-250-000-different-species-of-fossil-plants-and/) [David M. Raup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-m-raup/) > [Human health should now be thought of as a collective property of the human-associate d microbiota, as one group of researchers recently concluded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/human-health-should-now-be-thought-of-as-a-collective-property-of-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) [Browse all 285 Bacteria quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bacteria/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My mitochondria comprise a very large proportion of me. I cannot do the calculation, but I suppose there is almost as much of them in sheer dry bulk as there is the rest of me. 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