Cell Feature Resembles Power Grid | The Institute for Creation Research

Cell Feature Resembles Power Grid

Apparently, it's time to alter biology and anatomy textbooks again. There's much more to mitochondria than we ever thought. Researchers revealed that these tiny cellular power houses are highly organized to efficiently deliver ATP energy. They interconnect throughout muscle cells, forming a gigantic mitochondrial network. Researchers published this stunning discovery in Nature, calling it the "mitochondrial reticulum."1

The interconnected mitochondrial net wraps around long, tubular, protein bundles that contract inside cells to make muscles move. This design efficiently delivers the right fuel to the right place at the right time and in the right quantity. But the scientists found more.

Areas of the mitochondrial net that lie next to blood capillaries "are optimized for generating the mitochondrial membrane voltage, while the interconnected mitochondria deep in the muscle are optimized for using the voltage to produce ATP," according to lead author Robert Balaban in a National Institutes for Health news release.2

Variable voltages maintained throughout the network fuel the mitochondrial machines that generate ATP. In other words, carbohydrate chemical energy enters the mitochondrial reticulum near the source, gets converted to electric energy which travels deep into the muscle cell, and that gets converted to ATP chemical energy right where muscle proteins need it the most. It's a brilliant manufacturing and distribution array "that resembles the wire grid that distributes power throughout a city."2

If real people designed and built power grids in cities, it stands to reason that a real Person made miniature mitochondrial power grids in muscle cells, which are even more complicated and more tightly regulated than human-engineered systems.

References

  1. Glancy, B. et al. 2015. Mitochondrial reticulum for cellular energy distribution in muscle. Nature. 523 (7562): 617-620.
  2. High-resolution 3D images reveal the muscle mitochondrial power grid. National Institutes for Health News. Posted on nig.gov July 30, 2015, accessed August 6, 2015. 

*Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on August 20, 2015.

The Latest
NEWS
Make Plans to Attend Our Estate Planning Workshop at the Discovery...
Did you know that up to 75% of Americans over 18 have no retirement or estate plans? Don’t wait to prepare for the future. Join us on Saturday, October...

NEWS
Fossil Confusion in Ethiopia: Are Evolutionary Trees Built on...
A new study published in Nature describes the discovery of 13 fossilized teeth from the Ledi-Geraru site in Ethiopia. They have been dated to between...

NEWS
The Only Mesozoic Dragonfly in Canada—Is a Dragonfly
In 2023, an undergraduate student from McGill University discovered a new dragonfly species in Alberta, Canada. In fact, “This is the first ever...

CREATION PODCAST
Dr. Jake Hebert | Journey to ICR | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
ICR’s science staff have spent more than 50 years researching scientific evidence that refutes evolutionary philosophy...

NEWS
Oldest Evidence of Butterflies
Insects such as the ubiquitous butterfly belong to the huge phylum Arthropoda (creatures having paired, jointed appendages and a chitinous exoskeleton)....

NEWS
Another Big Mistake in Evolution
The strange and wonderful coelacanth1 has long been a challenge to evolutionists. The coelacanth has long been hailed as an ancestor...

ACTS & FACTS
ICR 2025 Resource Catalog
At the Institute for Creation Research, our mission is not only to conduct research demonstrating how science confirms Scripture but also to share this...

NEWS
Show Your Love for the ICR Discovery Center on North Texas Giving...
Thursday, September 18, is North Texas Giving Day! We invite you to join others in supporting ICR’s unique ministry as well as our creation museum...

NEWS
Living Gyroscope in Flies
The lowly fruit fly (Drosophila) is the research biologist’s friend in fields such as biomedical science, genetics, and developmental biology....

NEWS
Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk Is Now with the Lord
Courageous Christian and creation supporter Charlie Kirk was murdered on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event held at Utah...