Mitochondria and cell membranes

Mitochondria are double-membrane-bound organelles present in nearly all eukaryotic cells and are primarily responsible for producing the majority of cellular energy in the form of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. The mitochondrion consists of an outer membrane (permeable to small molecules due to porins), an inner membrane (highly selective, contains the respiratory chain, and forms cristae to increase surface area), an intermembrane space, and a matrix where essential metabolic pathways (e.g., citric acid cycle) occur. The mitochondrial membranes are also sites for regulation of apoptosis and calcium signaling, and they are implicated in a wide variety of diseases when dysfunctional. The term "cell membrane" generally refers to the plasma membrane, a lipid bilayer structure that separates the cell interior from the extracellular environment, mediates transport, cellular signaling, and forms the main protective barrier. However, neither "mitochondria" nor "cell membranes" are singular molecular therapeutic targets in the sense of a discrete protein, enzyme, receptor, or transporter, but rather refer to complex supramolecular structures made up of many different molecules, each of which might, individually, be a target.

Other names

Mitochondrionmitochondriacell membraneplasma membranemitochondrial membrane

null (see description for examples of drug mechanisms relevant to organelle function, such as uncoupling agents disrupting the mitochondrial membrane potential)