How mitochondria works in lowly creatures ?

Question

How mitochondria works in lowly creatures ?

Answer 1

The main function of the mitochondrion is the production of energy, in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The cell uses this energy to perform the specific work necessary for cell survival and function.

The raw materials used to generate ATP are the foods that we eat, or tissues within the body that are broken down in a process called catabolism. The breaking down of food into simpler molecules such as carbohydrates, fats, and protein is called metabolism. These molecules are then transferred into the mitochondria, where further processing occurs. The reactions within the mitochondria produce specific molecules that can have their electrical charges separated within the inner mitochondrial membrane. These charged molecules are processed within the five electron transport chain complexes to finally combine with oxygen to make ATP. The process of the charged substances combining with oxygen is called oxidation, while the chemical reaction making ATP is called phosphorylation. The overall process is called oxidative phosphorylation. The product produced by this process is ATP.

Other functions of mitochondria are related to the cell type in which they are found. Mitochondria are involved in building, breaking down, and recycling products needed for proper cell functioning. For example, some of the building blocks of DNA and RNA occur within the mitochondria. Mitochondria are also involved in making parts of blood and hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. They are required for cholesterol metabolism, neurotransmitter metabolism, and detoxification of ammonia in the urea cycle. Thus, if mitochondria do not function properly, not only energy production but also cell-specific products needed for normal cell functioning will be affected.

How hummingbirds keep warm is another intriguing question, because they lack brown fat, which most mammals use to generate heat. The mitochondria in mammalian brown fat generate heat by switching from being net ATP producers to net ATP consumers, through a class of protein called the uncoupling proteins (UCP). Eduardo Bicudo describes how the tiny birds probably maintain their body temperature by generating heat with their skeletal muscle mitochondria .

Frogs that pass the winter in cold, hypoxic water turn down their aerobic respiration largely through metabolic suppression in their skeletal muscle. Bob Boutilier turned to mitochondria in hibernating frogs to find out how the dormant amphibians conserve ATP and lower metabolic costs. Working with Julie St-Pierre, they analysed how mitochondrial function responded to hibernation and found that many key mitochondrial enzymes had a lower activity than the mitochondria of active summer frogs .

Answer 2

I would say that it would the same way.  Whether it's a complex creature or not, the way it works should still be the same.