--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Metabolically active cells, such as those…" description: "\"“Metabolically active cells, such as those of the liver, kidneys, muscles, and brain, have hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, making up some 40 per..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/nick-lane-26984_body-weight_metabolically-active-cells-such-as-those_2072369.jpg" --- # Metabolically active cells, such as those of the liver… ![“Metabolically active cells, such as those of the liver, kidneys, muscles, and brain, have hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, making up some 40 per cent of the cytoplasm. The egg cell, or oocyte, is exceptional: it passes on around 100000 mitochondria to the next generation. In contrast, blood…” quote by Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/nick-lane-26984_body-weight_metabolically-active-cells-such-as-those_2072369.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/nick-lane-26984_body-weight_metabolically-active-cells-such-as-those_2072369.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/nick-lane-26984_body-weight_metabolically-active-cells-such-as-those_2072369.jpg) > ““Metabolically active cells, such as those of the liver, kidneys, muscles, and brain, have hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, making up some 40 per cent of the cytoplasm. The egg cell, or oocyte, is exceptional: it passes on around 100000 mitochondria to the next generation. In contrast, blood cells and skin cells have very few, or none at all; sperm usually have fewer than 100. All in all, there are said to be 10 million billion mitochondria in an adult human, which together constitute about 10 per cent of our body weight.”” [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) ## 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 in energy‑intensive cells, especially oocytes, and constitute a significant portion of human body mass. **In simple terms:** Cells need many mitochondria for energy; eggs carry many to the next generation. Key Takeaway Consider cellular energy needs in health and reproduction. Themes biology cellular energy reproduction genetics Mood scientific informative Type educational analytical When to use this quote - medical research - fertility treatments - aging studies - nutrition planning Key Concepts mitochondrial distribution energy metabolism inheritance Questions to Reflect On - How do mitochondrial numbers affect cell function? - What implications does this have for reproductive health? A Different Perspective Complexity of mitochondrial roles varies by tissue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-weight/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Mitochondria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mitochondria/) [Next generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-generation/) ## Related quotes > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [My mitochondria comprise a very large proportion of me. I cannot do the calculation, but I suppose there is almost as much of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/my-mitochondria-comprise-a-very-large-proportion-of-me-i-cannot-do/) [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/) > [“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 > [“Since I am writing a book about depression, I am often asked in social situations to describe my own experiences, and I usually end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/since-i-am-writing-a-book-about-depression-i-am-often-asked-in-social/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [“Education will only take you so far. To go even further, I’d recommend getting a piggyback ride from a midget half your body weight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/education-will-only-take-you-so-far-to-go-even-further-i-d-recommend/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Did you know that? The muscles that move our fingers are so strong that it is possible for people to support their entire body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thebrothers/did-you-know-that-the-muscles-that-move-our-fingers-are-so-strong/) TheBrothers > [“Exercise stimulates growth plates, by putting pressure on bone cells, forcing them to specialize and create new cells. Too much pressure, however, damages the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianne-cohen/exercise-stimulates-growth-plates-by-putting-pressure-on-bone-cells/) [Arianne Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianne-cohen/) ## More by Nick Lane > [“establishment. In 1966, the Dutch geologist M. G. Rutten could write, in a charmingly antiquated style that has passed forever from the scientific journals:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/establishment-in-1966-the-dutch-geologist-m-g-rutten-could-write-in-a/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“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/) > [“Pigments such as haemoglobin are coloured because they absorb light of particular colours (bands of light, as in a rainbow) and reflect back light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/pigments-such-as-haemoglobin-are-coloured-because-they-absorb-light/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“Energy and life go hand in hand. If you stop breathing, you will not be able to generate the energy you need for staying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/energy-and-life-go-hand-in-hand-if-you-stop-breathing-you-will-not-be/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“In an average person, ATP is produced at a rate of 9 × 1020 molecules per second, which equates to a turnover rate (the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/in-an-average-person-atp-is-produced-at-a-rate-of-9-1020-molecules/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“But whatever our beliefs, this richness of understanding should be a cause for marvel and celebration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/but-whatever-our-beliefs-this-richness-of-understanding-should-be-a/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“and predictions. Science is often presented as ‘the facts’, frequently in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/and-predictions-science-is-often-presented-as-the-facts-frequently-in/) [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/) > [“Nothing is more conservative than a bacterium.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/nothing-is-more-conservative-than-a-bacterium/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“This was difficult to prove as most hydrogenosomes have lost their entire genome, but it is now established with some certainty.1 In other words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/this-was-difficult-to-prove-as-most-hydrogenosomes-have-lost-their/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“Matters came to a head after 1918, when the French scientist Paul Portier published his rhetorical masterpiece Les Symbiotes. He was nothing if not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/matters-came-to-a-head-after-1918-when-the-french-scientist-paul/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“the igneo-aerial food.” In other words, despite”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/the-igneo-aerial-food-in-other-words-despite/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“Timmis and colleagues found that chloroplast genes are transferred to the nucleus at a rate of about 1 transfer in every 16 000 seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/timmis-and-colleagues-found-that-chloroplast-genes-are-transferred-to/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“The point I want to make about methanogens is that they were the losers in the race through a bottleneck, yet nonetheless survived in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/the-point-i-want-to-make-about-methanogens-is-that-they-were-the/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) > [“of oxygen, whether we think of it as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, is the formation of free radicals. As conventionally stated, the idea that breathing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/of-oxygen-whether-we-think-of-it-as-good-or-bad-is-the-formation-of/) [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) [Explore all 21 Nick Lane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) ## More Body weight quotes > [“Exercise stimulates growth plates, by putting pressure on bone cells, forcing them to specialize and create new cells. Too much pressure, however, damages the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianne-cohen/exercise-stimulates-growth-plates-by-putting-pressure-on-bone-cells/) [Arianne Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianne-cohen/) > [“Did you know that? The muscles that move our fingers are so strong that it is possible for people to support their entire body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thebrothers/did-you-know-that-the-muscles-that-move-our-fingers-are-so-strong/) TheBrothers > [“Education will only take you so far. To go even further, I’d recommend getting a piggyback ride from a midget half your body weight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/education-will-only-take-you-so-far-to-go-even-further-i-d-recommend/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Since I am writing a book about depression, I am often asked in social situations to describe my own experiences, and I usually end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/since-i-am-writing-a-book-about-depression-i-am-often-asked-in-social/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [“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 > [“His vulnerability allowed me to let my guard down, and gently and methodically, he tore apart my well-constructed dam. Waves of tender feelings were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-houck/his-vulnerability-allowed-me-to-let-my-guard-down-and-gently-and/) [Colleen Houck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-houck/) > [“hear him breathing behind me, loud and fast. "Are you all right, Four?" "Are you human, Tris? Being up this high..." He gulps for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/hear-him-breathing-behind-me-loud-and-fast-are-you-all-right-four-are/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“rather sit there and watch TV, get fat and out of shape OR would you rather take a 15-minute body weight workout and feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-miller/rather-sit-there-and-watch-tv-get-fat-and-out-of-shape-or-would-you/) [John Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-miller/) > [“All worries are less with wine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/all-worries-are-less-with-wine/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I focus on different parts of the body on different days. It's usually high-intensity circuits and a lot of body weight stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-sprouse/i-focus-on-different-parts-of-the-body-on-different-days-it-s-usually/) [Cole Sprouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-sprouse/) > [I plan my meals according to my body weight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohit-raina/i-plan-my-meals-according-to-my-body-weight/) [Mohit Raina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohit-raina/) > [I have a personal trainer who comes home. I work out three times a week for an hour each and focus on concentrated body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sayani-gupta/i-have-a-personal-trainer-who-comes-home-i-work-out-three-times-a/) [Sayani Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sayani-gupta/) > [“Dose response studies indicate a linear increase in skeletal muscle protein synthesis with ingestion of high quality protein up to about 20-25 grams per…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-s-volek/dose-response-studies-indicate-a-linear-increase-in-skeletal-muscle/) [Jeff S. Volek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-s-volek/) > [Myself and Yorgos Lanthimos, we spoke a little bit and I was at a certain body weight that I was closer to making a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-farrell/myself-and-yorgos-lanthimos-we-spoke-a-little-bit-and-i-was-at-a/) [Colin Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-farrell/) > [What I hate most about myself? My body weight/figure. My friend are all twigs and make me look like an oompa loompa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-i-hate-most-about-myself-my-body-weight-figure-my-friend-are-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 107 Body weight quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-weight/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Metabolically active cells, such as those of the liver, kidneys, muscles, and brain, have hundreds or thousands of mitochondria, making up some 40 per cent of the cytoplasm. The egg cell, or oocyte, is exceptional: it passes on around 100000 mitochondria to the next generation. In contrast, blood cells and skin cells have very few, or none at all; sperm usually have fewer than 100. 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