Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mitochondrion” come from?

Mitochondrion derives from Ancient Greek μίτος (míthos, "thread") and the Proto-Indo-European root mey-, referring to the organelle's thread-like appearance under early microscopy.

mitochondrion (English): A spherical or ovoid organelle found in the...

Definitions

  1. A spherical or ovoid organelle found in the...

Ancestry of “mitochondrion”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGenesis—
2Latingenesisgeneration, creation, nativity; birth
3Ancient GreekΓένεσις—
4Proto-Hellenicgénetisorigin, source
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁tisbirth, production
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “mitochondrion”

  • mitochondrial
  • mitochondria
  • mitochondrially
  • intramitochondrial
  • antimitochondrial
  • submitochondrial
  • extramitochondrial
  • nonmitochondrial
  • transmitochondrial
  • postmitochondrial
  • protomitochondrion
  • mitochondriogenesis
  • megamitochondrion
  • mitochondrional
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →