The importance of mitochondria and homeostasis?

Question

NOT cellular respiration or metabolism but more SPECIFICALLY homeostasis.. gr 12 bio answer..

thank u & points are given

Answer 1

Mitochondria are the organelles in all eukaryotic (with nucleus) cells that breakdown simple sugars to produce ATP (the energy currency molecule of the cell), carbon dioxide, and water.  Without mitochondria, you would not have the energy to do anything, even breath or your heart beat.

For optimum performance, there is a range of internal environmental conditions (such as temperature, pH, salinity, and others) that are needed to be maintained.  Homeostasis is the process cells go through to maintain that optimal range of conditions.  Mitochondria can still function in poor environmental conditions, but they are much less efficient.  When the conditions are outside the optimal range, it is like trying to run your car on low quality gas, never changing the oil or air filters, very inefficient and poor performance.

An example of this comes from the various exercise and diet products that contain Ephedrin.  This chemical interferes with the mitochondria's ability to maintain a hydrogen ion concentration across its membranes that is essential to the production of ATP.  Many people taking this drug lost weight at a phenonenal rate, for some up to 20 pounds a week.  It was the new wonder weight loss pill.  Then people started dying.  Their bodies were racing to produce ATP with mitochondria that were functioning outside their optimal environmental conditions.  

Because they lacked the hydrogen ion concentration needed for ATP production, they were burning all the food calories they were eating each day, plus their stored fat, and then finally their own muscle tissues in order to produce enough ATP to keep going.  Eventually this ran out.

Homeostasis had failed for them.  They died due to a heart attacks and similar events, all because they ran out of energy.