mitochondrion
/ˌmaɪtəˈkɑndɹiən/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.92 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
5
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A spherical or ovoid organelle found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells and containing genetic material separate from that of the host; it is responsible for the conversion of food to usable energy in the form of ATP.
Example Sentences
- "The consideration of the mitochondrion in the spermatocytes I shall pass over, as it is not within the bounds of this paper; yet I hope to study the earlier generations of my material, and shall then compare the results."
Etymology
From German Mitochondrium, coined by Carl Benda in 1898, from Ancient Greek μίτος (mítos, “thread”) + χονδρίον (khondríon), diminutive of χόνδρος (khóndros, “grain, morsel”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Mitochondrium, μίτος
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌmaɪtəˈkɑndɹiən/
- British English: /ˌmaɪtəˈkɒndɹiən/