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So, Mitochondria Aren't Actually The Powerhouse Of The Cell After All

Scientists just discovered a biological bombshell in chinchilla droppings.
Posted at 4:50 PM, May 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-13 16:50:00-04

The most basic thing you learned in biology class might be wrong.

Mitochondria are not exactly the powerhouse of the cell.

Maybe you learned it from the meme. Either way, probably not entirely correct.

Grab your note pad. There might be a quiz later. Meanwhile, refresher course:

-Eukaryotes are complex cells.

-Mitochondria are basically the digestive system in those cells.

Except now, scientists have found one of these cells that straight-up doesn't have any mitochondria in it.

Where did they find it? Chinchilla poop. Czech chinchilla poop, specifically.

The findings were published in the journal Current Biology.