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Chapter 14: Problem 2

Electron micrographs show that mitochondria in heart muscle have a much higher density of cristae than mitochondria in skin cells. Suggest an explanation for this observation.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Heart muscle mitochondria have more cristae to meet high energy demands.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Cristae

Cristae are the infoldings of the inner membrane of mitochondria, which increase the surface area for chemical reactions to occur, such as the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). More cristae mean more surface area for energy production.
02

Identifying Energy Needs

Heart muscle cells require a large amount of energy to constantly contract and relax, as they are responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. This high energy demand means they need more ATP.
03

Comparing Functions

Skin cells primarily serve as a protective barrier and do not have the same constant, high energy demands as heart muscle cells. Their functions are less dependent on energy production compared to heart cells.
04

Drawing a Conclusion

Since heart muscle cells need significantly more energy than skin cells, their mitochondria have more cristae to increase ATP production capacity. This adaptation allows heart cells to meet their energy demands effectively.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Cristae
Cristae are intricate folds within the inner membrane of mitochondria. These folds play a crucial role in enhancing the surface area inside the mitochondria. And why is more surface area important? It's because the surface area determines how many chemical reactions can take place.

The cristae allow for more space to host enzymes that are vital for energy production in the form of ATP. Think of them as crowded meeting rooms, each with a purpose in energy conferences to generate ATP. More cristae mean more sites for hosting these 'meetings,' resulting in increased energy production. For instance:
  • More cristae = more ATP production.
  • More ATP production = more energy available for the cell's function.
ATP production
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the energy currency of the cell. The production of ATP within the mitochondria occurs through a process called oxidative phosphorylation, which happens along the cristae.

This process involves a series of complex steps where electrons are transferred through proteins embedded in the cristae. As electrons move through these proteins, energy is released, and this energy is harnessed to produce ATP. In a nutshell:
  • Electrons flow through proteins.
  • Energy is released during this flow.
  • The released energy is used to produce ATP.
  • More cristae provide more pathways for electrons, thus more ATP.
In tissues with high energy needs, like the heart muscle, more cristae mean more efficient ATP production.
Energy demand
Energy demands of cells can vary drastically depending on their function. For example, heart muscle cells have a critical role in maintaining blood circulation by constantly contracting and relaxing. This activity requires a tremendous amount of energy, which is supplied by the numerous mitochondria packed with cristae.

Heart cells need to continuously produce ATP to maintain their activity. In contrast, skin cells, which act mainly as protective barriers, have much lower energy requirements.
  • Heart cells have high energy needs, hence more cristae.
  • Skin cells have lower energy demands, needing fewer cristae.
Understanding the varying energy demands helps explain why some cells, like those in the heart, possess more mitochondria with more cristae to efficiently meet these demands.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Dinitrophenol (DNP) is a small molecule that renders membranes permeable to protons. In the \(1940 s,\) small amounts of this highly toxic compound were given to patients to induce weight loss. DNP was effective in melting away the pounds, especially promoting the loss of fat reserves. Can you explain how it might cause such loss? As an unpleasant side reaction, however, patients had an elevated temperature and sweated profusely during the treatment. Provide an explanation for these symptoms.

At many steps in the electrontransport chain, Fe ions are used as part of heme or FeS clusters to bind the electrons in transit. Why do these functional groups that carry out the chemistry of electron transfer need to be bound to proteins? Provide several reasons why this is necessary.

Which of the following statements are correct? Explain your answers. A. After an electron has been removed by light, the positively charged chlorophyll in the reaction center of the first photosystem (photosystem II) has a greater affinity for electrons than \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\) has. B. Photosynthesis is the light-driven transfer of an electron from chlorophyll to a second molecule that normally has a much lower affinity for electrons. C. Because it requires the removal of four electrons to release one \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\) molecule from two \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) molecules, the water-splitting enzyme in photosystem II has to keep the reaction intermediates tightly bound so as to prevent partly reduced, and therefore hazardous, superoxide radicals from escaping.

A. How do cells in plant roots survive, since they contain no chloroplasts and are not exposed to light? B. Unlike mitochondria, chloroplasts do not have a transporter that allows them to export ATP to the cytosol. How, then, do plant cells obtain the ATP that they need to carry out energyrequiring metabolic reactions in the cytosol?

Some bacteria have become specialized to live in an environment of high \(\mathrm{pH}(\mathrm{pH} \sim 10) .\) Do you suppose that these bacteria use a proton gradient across their plasma membrane to produce their ATP? (Hint: all cells must maintain their cytoplasm at a pH close to neutrality.)
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