Like companies or structures in a city, each organelle in a cell has functions it needs to perform for the cell to stay alive. Energy companies are responsible for the energy production in cities, while mitochondria act as the source of energy in the cell. A power company in a city and cell mitochondria are similar as they produce the energy necessary for survival.
Energy production is one of the essential processes in a cell. Mitochondria, shown in Figure 1, generate energy for the cell by oxidizing proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates (Iwasa et al., 2020). The cell later uses that adenosine triphosphate, or ATP molecules, for various processes that require energy, like cell signaling (Iwasa et al., 2020). Without using ATP as a power source, the cell would be unable to function and survive. Moreover, mitochondria control calcium signaling, which is necessary to balance energy demands and supplies in a cell (Iwasa et al., 2020). These functions can be compared to power companies, depicted in Figure 2, which generate electrical energy vital for most of the city structures to work. Therefore, a city cannot live without a power company, just like a cell cannot survive without mitochondria.
When comparing mitochondria and power companies, many similarities between them can be seen. The power companies are responsible for producing electrical energy in a city to maintain crucial functions (Ro, 2022). Meanwhile, mitochondria generate energy in the form of ATP from fats, sugars, and proteins. They regulate energy balance in a cell through calcium signaling, which is essential for the proper function of the brain and muscles. Mitochondria and power companies are vital elements for an organism, whether a city or a cell, to function properly.
References
Iwasa, J., Marshall, W. F., & Karp, G. (2020). Chapter 5: Aerobic Respiration and the Mitochondrion. In Karp’s cell and molecular biology, Wiley.
Ro, C. (2022). The ‘green’ row over the UK’s largest renewable power plant. BBC.