Mitochondria in Muscle Cells
Mitochondria are the power house of the cells. They produce the energy that muscles cells need to function. Put simply, mitochondria are cell organelles linked to the membrane which work to generate enough chemical energy necessary to fuel the biochemical reactions of the cell. The chemical energy produced by the mitochondria is stored in a small molecule called adenosine triphosphate. Mitochondria release energy through aerobic respiration. As you may know energy (ATP) is a basic requirement for muscle function such as contraction and relaxation Mitochondria are the part of the cell that produces ATP which the cell can then use as energy to do work. Muscle cells require a lot of ATP to carry out contraction and this is why a large number of mitochondria are required to produce this ATP.
How do Mitochondria make energy?
Muscle cells contain actin and myosin filaments, which move in such a way that enables the muscle to contract. This process uses chemical energy, derived from ATP being broken down into ADP and phosphate. The cell needs lots of ATP. And mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) function to respire carbohydrates to produce ATP.
Why do muscle cells have a high amount of mitochondria?
I approach this by thinking of a cell as my entire body. If I lie in bed and do nothing all day I am like a fat cell. I only need a little energy which I get from a small amount of food in the way that fat cells only a little energy which they get from a small number of mitochondria. On active days I am like a muscle cell. I need lots of food in the way that fat cells need a lot of mitochondria to give them energy. Mitochondria are the energy factories for all cells. ATP synthesis occurs in them by ADP and Pyruvate synthesizing to create ATP, which is energy. Muscle cells work hard to move and contract and this is why they require a lot of energy thus they contain more mitochondria to produce a high level of ATP