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Does Euglena have Mitochondria? I know most of them have Chloroplasts, and that supplies the the Euglena cell with energy, and if Euglena does have mitochondria what is it's function?
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Thanks for using AllExperts. Euglena does indeed have mitochondria, as do all eukaryotic organisms. Mitochondria serve the same function in these organisms as they do elsewhere, which is to produce the high-energy ATP molecules required for cellular processes. Euglena are capable of using photosynthesis to create carbohydrate molecules from carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight, but the energy in these molecules is not directly available in that form. Those molecules must be broken down via the glycolytic pathway and citric acid cycle for them to be useful as an energy currency. Exactly the same process occurs in humans, by the way; the food we consume cannot be used directly as an energy source until it is broken down to its fundamental components. This occurs partly in the cytoplasm and partly in the mitochondria. This process in the mitochondria occurs in all eukaryotic organisms regardless of whether they are also photosynthetic.
You may want to review some additional information on the subject at this link:
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/mitochondria/mitochondria.html
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John Locke
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I will answer all biology-related questions through the undergraduate level. I will explain unclear concepts and suggest approaches to solving problems, but would prefer not to completely solve homework problems for you. If you are completely stumped on homework, tell me what you already know and I will help you as much as possible. Please do not ask me for ideas on school research projects; part of research is determining a suitable area of investigation, and that's not a task that should be completed by someone else. Please don't simply send me your homework for solutions. If you are having difficulty after you have started an analysis, I will be happy to direct your thinking; in particular, I would prefer to not simply solve pedigrees for students, but I will be happy to assist in solving pedigrees that you have already started. If you don't understand how to analyze a pedigree, I'd highly recommend watching this video, in which a biology professor explains the basic concepts of pedigree analysis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIHjsn5cHo
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