The Mitochondrion as a Model of Compartmentation

The obvious advantages of combining a number of enzymes, catalysing a series of connected or closely related reactions, within one compartment have been realized in a multitude of subcellular organelles. However, not only has the physical separation of such sets of enzymes been put to profitable use, but it is very often found that the membrane surrounding an organelle plays an active role in regulating the movement of the small molecules to be acted upon from one compartment to the other. In this chapter some properties of the mitochondrion as an example of this compartmentation will be discussed.