Science & Nature · 2
Which structure in plant cells produces ATP (usable cellular energy)?
Answer
Mitochondria
Mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses, convert glucose and other nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through cellular respiration, creating the chemical energy currency that powers all cellular work. While chloroplasts in plant cells produce glucose through photosynthesis, mitochondria capture the energy in these glucose molecules and package it into ATP molecules that cells can readily use. This relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration creates a crucial interdependence in plant metabolism.
💡 Did you know?
Mitochondria are theorized to be ancient bacteria that were engulfed by ancestral cells and became permanent residents.
Other options people guess
- Chloroplast
- Ribosome
- Nucleus
Topics
- biology
- botany
- cellular-biology
Know your science & nature trivia?
Play a free Science & Nature quiz and see how many you get right — no signup needed to start.
More Science & Nature facts
Science & Nature
Which organelle is responsible for photosynthesis in plant cells?
Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy and gives plants their green color.
Science & Nature
What is the name of the process by which plants lose water vapor through small pores in their leaves?
A single large oak tree can transpire over 40,000 gallons of water into the atmosphere in a single year — roughly enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
Science & Nature
Which scientist discovered the structure of DNA?
If all the DNA in your body were uncoiled end-to-end, it would stretch from Earth to the Sun 99 times and back.
Science & Nature
What do you call an animal that eats both plants and meat?
Humans are omnivores with digestive systems adapted for both plants and meat, though individual dietary choices vary widely.
Science & Nature
What is the process called when a liquid turns into a solid?
Water is unusual: ice is less dense than liquid water, which is why ice floats—a property that prevents lakes from freezing solid.
Science & Nature
What is the process by which organisms adapt to their environment over many generations?
Darwin's finches in the Galápagos Islands changed beak size within decades due to natural selection during droughts.