Topic 6: Mitochondrial dynamics. This refers mostly to the fission and fusion of mitochondria,
and the regulation of both processes. Mitochondria don’t spontaneously assemble. Rather,
mitochondria increase in number in a cell by dividing (fission), and they can also decrease in
number by fusion. Related phenomena are the movements and shape changes of individual
mitochondria. Example questions for mitochondrial dynamics include:
 How is mitochondrial fission similar to, and different from, bacterial cell division?
 Have genetic mutations been observed that affect mitochondrial dynamics? If so, what
do they tell us about the mechanisms of mitochondrial fission and fusion?
 How are mitochondrial dynamics significant for mitochondrial function? Can disorders
resulting from abnormalities in mitochondrial dynamics reveal anything important about
mitochondria?