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mitochondrion
noun
Examples of mitochondrion in a Sentence
Word History
borrowed from German (in plural Mitochondria), from Greek mítos "length of thread, cord used to separate warp threads" (of uncertain origin) + -o- -o- + chóndrion "granule," diminutive of chóndros "grain, groats" — more at chondro-
Note: Term introduced by the German microbiologist Carl Benda (1857-1932) in "Ueber die Spermatogenese der Vertebraten und höherer Evertebraten: II. Theil: Die Histiogenese der Spermien" [XVII. Sitzung am 29. Juli 1898], Archiv für Anatomie und Physiologie - Physiologische Abtheilung, Jahrgang 1898, p. 397: "Sie liegen innerhalb eines Theiles der Protoplasmafäden, bisweilen zu besonderen Körpern gehäuft, und sind wenigsten mit einem Theil der bereits bekannten Zellmikrosomen identisch, aber unterschieden von den Altmann'schen und Ehrlich'schen Granulationen. Ich möchte vorläufig vorschlagen, ihnen als Mitochondria eine besondere Stellung vorzubehalten, die ich in weiteren Arbeiten begründen werde." ("They lie within of a portion of the protoplasmic threads, sometimes aggregated to particular bodies, and are identical to at least part of the already known cell microsomes, but differ from Altmann's and Ehrlich's granulations. I would like to suggest tentatively reserving for them a special status as mitochondria, which I will substantiate in further work.")
1901, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near mitochondrion
Cite this Entry
“Mitochondrion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mitochondrion. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
mitochondrion
nounMedical Definition
mitochondrion
nouncalled also chondriosome
More from Merriam-Webster on mitochondrion
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mitochondrion
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