CFC Blog #155: Mitochondria, collaboration, and ubiquity

I always learn striking scientific facts as well as a very deep message about the world and people whenever I read Maria's writing - one of the many countless reasons I find it so incredibly memorable! This blog reminds me of the concept of biomimicry, which refers to the idea that people can look to nature's models as inspiration for solutions to solve human's challenges or answer questions. Just as I have learned from Maria's piece about the power of collaboration, I think about other inventions inspired by nature's time-tested patterns - like how wind turbines were modeled after humpback whales' flippers and the angle to which they hit the water. It is so interesting to notice the science before us and see how it applies to and can largely support our every day lives in a personal and professional sense! Thank you for this, Maria.

- Amanda

Mitochondria, collaboration, and ubiquity

Collaboration is such a powerful interaction that in the history of life, once it appears, the evolutionary advantage is so significant, that chances are it will not go away in time. This means that there are strong mechanisms that sustain it throughout evolutionary time.

One of the most interesting stories of collaboration in living organisms is the evolution of the mitochondria in animals and plants. The mitochondria are found inside of all cells with clearly defined nuclei. The primary function of the mitochondria is to support biosynthesis and to generate copious quantities of energy. So, the mitochondria are commonly known as the ‘powerhouses’ of the cell. Know this: mitochondria have their own DNA, completely different than the DNA of the organism it inhabits! So, now let’s think about that for a moment: this points for the evolution of a fundamental collaboration between an ancient organism with its own DNA, and its host cell. Can you grasp how gigantic this is: energy and synthesis are clearly vital to all cells, and the work is actually done in collaboration. Wow. That just takes my breath away!

The nature and benefit of this collaboration is hotly debated, but what really strikes me is that after it happened, all animals and plants present mitochondria – except for one tiny flagellate, Monocercomonoides, discovered living in the guts of small mammals, snakes, and insects. This flagellate, which only lives inside other animals with mitochondria of their own, is the only example of an animal or plant that contains no mitochondrial DNA, and considering its environment, the absence of mitochondria could mean that the collaboration never even happened in the first place, because the flagellate is already benefiting from the mitochondria of its host.

Another important piece of information is that there is a dynamic communication between the nucleus of a cell and its mitochondria. It's an early checkpoint prior to biological outcomes such as proliferation, differentiation, and adaptation to pressure. So, I have just told you a story about an unshakable collaboration in nature, with strong response/check-in mechanism that allows organisms to grow, innovate, and respond to stress.

I think that inter-organizational collaborations, whether they are formal, such as teams, companies and enterprises, or informal, such as communities and families are trying to do the exact same thing: work together to nurture their own existence, to adapt, and to protect themselves, through time. And that is why I advocate for you to celebrate your collaborations, wherever they are, and to try harder to make them work. Once you get it right, chances are, you are set for life.