Multiple Choice
Why do skeletal muscle cells typically contain more mitochondria than skin cells?
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11. Aerobic Respiration
Mitochondria
Multiple Choice
In the context of mitochondria, why do some cells (e.g., skeletal muscle cells) contain more mitochondria than others (e.g., many adipocytes)?
A
They have higher ATP demand, so they need greater capacity for aerobic respiration and oxidative phosphorylation.
B
They contain more mitochondria primarily to increase storage of genetic information in mitochondrial DNA.
C
They require more lysosomes to digest damaged organelles, so they increase mitochondrial number to supply hydrolytic enzymes.
D
They need more mitochondria to synthesize ribosomes for protein production in the cytosol.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the primary function of mitochondria in cells, which is to generate ATP through aerobic respiration and oxidative phosphorylation.
Step 2: Recognize that different cell types have varying energy demands based on their functions; for example, skeletal muscle cells require a lot of energy for contraction, while adipocytes primarily store fat and have lower energy demands.
Step 3: Connect the number of mitochondria in a cell to its ATP demand: cells with higher energy needs contain more mitochondria to meet those demands efficiently.
Step 4: Evaluate the incorrect options by considering the known roles of mitochondria: mitochondrial DNA stores genetic information but is not the main reason for varying mitochondria numbers; lysosomes digest damaged organelles but are separate organelles; ribosome synthesis occurs in the nucleolus and cytosol, not mitochondria.
Step 5: Conclude that the reason some cells have more mitochondria is to increase their capacity for ATP production to support higher energy requirements.
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