A mitochondrion (/ˌmaɪtəˈkɒndriən/;[1] pl.: mitochondria) is an organelle found in the cells of most eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used throughout the cell as a source of chemical energy.[2] They were discovered by Albert von Kölliker in 1857[3] in the voluntary muscles of insects. The term mitochondrion was coined by Carl Benda in 1898. The mitochondrion is popularly nicknamed the “powerhouse of the cell”, a phrase coined by Philip Siekevitz in a 1957 article of the same name.[4]
Two mitochondria from mammalian lung tissue displaying their matrix and membranes as shown by electron microscopy