The Sweetest Organelle

My favorite organelle by far is the mitochondrion. I mean, come on people, here is an organelle that we just picked up on the way to being a eukaryote. 'Hey archaebacteria, wanna supply me with energy in a symbiotic relationship?' 'Fuck yeah, man.' That probably what it was like 2 billion years ago, when eukaryotes were getting sick of dealing with all the competition and decided to develop organelles, aka, kick some major ass on an evolutionary scale. As the years progressed, the relationship between cell and symbiot became more intertwined. Today, many, if not most, of the proteins required for the citric acid cycle and oxphos are encoded in the cell's genome. The mRNA is translated by free ribosomes, which then must be transported into the mitochondria. However, the mitochondria refuse to give up their independence completely. They still have their own genome (although it is greatly reduced) and their own ribosomes. They are not replicated like normal organelles, but undergo a form of binary fission when the energy needs of the cell increase. They are usually pictured as little ovals, but that is just the glam of cell bio textbooks. Mitochondria can change shape and wrap around cellular structures in order to supply ATP where it is most needed. DOESN'T THAT FUCKING ROCK?!?

It does. You know it.

However, the coolest aspect of mitochondria is its role in apoptosis.