Page 21 - The Cell and Its Components
P. 21
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10) True or False: RNA has a 'stop' code telling the
ribosome that the protein is ready.
TRUE
FALSE
Cell Mitochondria
What are mitochondria?
Mitochondria are important parts of our cells because
they take food and make energy that the rest of the cell
can use.
Organelle
Animals and plants are made up of many complex cells
called eukaryotic cells. Inside these cells are structures
that perform special functions for the cell called
organelles. The organelle that is responsible for
producing energy for the cell is the mitochondria.
How many mitochondria are in a cell?
Different types of cells have different numbers of
mitochondria. Some simple cells contain only one or two
mitochondria. However, complex animal cells that need a
lot of energy, like muscle cells, can have thousands of
mitochondria.
Energy Factory
The main function of mitochondria is to produce energy
for the cell. Cells use a special molecule for energy called
ATP. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. The ATP
for the cell is made within the mitochondria. You can
think of the mitochondria as the energy factory or power
